Calgary Indigenous groups chosen to build affordable housing on city-owned land

The City of Calgary has announced it’s selling disconnected 5 parcels of city-owned onshore to let for the construction of 387 caller affordable homes.

The properties, which are being sold beneath marketplace value, are located successful the communities of Crescent Heights, Erlton, Haysboro, Erin Woods and Shaganappi.

The metropolis says 4 groups — including respective Indigenous organizations, who were fixed precedence — person been selected to acquisition the land.

They groups include:

• Erin Woods to Siksika Off-Reserve Affordable Housing (SORAH)
• Crescent Heights to Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC)
• Erlton and Shaganappi to Onward Homes
• Haysboro to Liberty Housing Organization

The palmy applicants volition person up to 4 years to conception the housing, including clip for planning, licence approvals and assemblage engagement.

Each parcel of onshore besides comes with a per-door backing of $75,000, which results successful a $29-million publication from the city’s Housing Accelerator Fund to assistance non-profit affordable lodging providers physique quickly.

“Indigenous radical successful Calgary proceed to look unsocial and profoundly rooted barriers to harmless and affordable housing,” Blackfoot Elder Jackie Bromley said successful absorption to the announcement.

Bromley called it “a important measurement successful the city’s committedness to reconciliation.”

“The lives of families volition everlastingly beryllium changed for the amended done the lodging that volition effect from these 5 projects,” she said.

Marcus Berzins, manager of Housing Solutions for the City of Calgary said nether the policy, which was passed successful 2019, the metropolis sells up to 10 parcels of onshore each 2 years for the improvement of non-market homes.

To date, the metropolis has conducted 4 income of onshore done the program, contributing $25.3 cardinal successful onshore worth and enabling the improvement of 835 homes.