June 30, 2022
The City of Edmonton will begin handing over five new supportive housing sites, providing 210 new homes to Edmontonians who have experienced homelessness.
Construction is now complete at King Edward Park, the first of five new supportive housing sites developed in collaboration with Homeward Trust. In the coming weeks, four other sites will be completed, paving the way for Homeward Trust and non-profit operators to welcome new residents later this summer.
The five projects were fast-tracked with funding from the Rapid Housing Initiative, a national program led by the Government of Canada to support shovel-ready permanent supportive housing projects. Capital funding for one site came from the Government of Alberta.
The sites will be owned by Homeward Trust, the non-profit organization funded by all levels of government to implement plans to end homelessness in Edmonton.
“The pandemic hit Edmontonians hard, particularly those who were already precariously housed,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “These projects show the value of working together to find long-term solutions that not only help people get back on their feet, but also find a community with built-in supports.”
“Homelessness is a reality for too many people in Edmonton, and we are working to ensure everyone in our community has a safe place to call home,” said Randy Boissonault, federal minster of tourism and associate minister of finance. “This investment through the Rapid Housing Initiative will help our most vulnerable citizens, and will make a difference in the ongoing work to end homelessness and ensure housing affordability in Alberta and across the country.”
"The Alberta Government’s investment in this affordable housing infrastructure will help provide accessible homes for vulnerable Albertans,” said Ric McIver, the provincial minister of municipal affairs. “Further, this investment will mean reduced costs for operators of those residences and has provided wide-ranging local construction jobs for builders."
"This is a huge step towards regaining our momentum in ending homelessness in our community," said Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust. "Supportive housing is a home, a place where people can recover, grow and ultimately succeed. It's also a proven model that provides long-term, sustainable solutions for ending homelessness while mitigating the policing, justice and health costs associated with unaddressed homelessness.”
Project details:
- Construction at all five supportive housing sites – King Edward Park, Inglewood, Westmount, McArthur and Terrace Heights – will wrap up over the next six weeks.
- To expedite construction and reduce disruption to neighbourhoods, modular units were built off-site, then hoisted and assembled on site.
- The federal government provided $35.1 million, while the City provided $28.3 million and coordinated the off-site construction of modular units.
- $16.4 million for the Westmount site came from the Government of Alberta through its Municipal Stimulus Program.
- The second round of the RHI will add another 243 units of supportive housing in three hotel conversion projects.
Homeward Trust:
- Since 2008, Homeward Trust and its partners have housed more than 14,000 Edmontonians.
- Homeward Trust will be naming site-specific operators and overseeing the final work to prepare the buildings for occupancy.
- Individual site operators will develop Good Neighbour Plans for each facility, and will work with each community to build relationships and resolve any issues that arise.
- To ensure a smooth transition, residents will move into the new homes on a staggered basis.
