Earlier this week, the provincial government announced they are investing in affordable housing and the future.
The province is trying to fix affordable housing units that need remodelling and upkeep through the Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program.
"Through Budget 2024, the government is investing nearly $121 million over three years to maintain and repair government-owned and supported housing units across Alberta, supporting about 4,250 units in 2024-25. This funding goes toward repairing units through projects like replacing windows, repairing roofs and improving interior environments to help bring units up to date and ensure they can continue to be used for years to come," stated a provincial press release.
According to the provincial government, improvements made by Alberta’s government in 2023-24 resulted in more competitive pricing and faster turnaround times for vacant suites, reducing from three months to 33 days.
“The Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program is a critical part of keeping government-owned housing units safe and up to date. Like all homes, these buildings need repairs as they age to keep them in good condition and able to continue operating as affordable housing for Albertans. A maintenance strategy will help the government work with housing operators to ensure we are making the right repairs at the right time,” stated Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services.
To preserve existing affordable housing, Budget 2024 allocates over $40 million in funding for capital maintenance and renewal in 2024–2025.
When asked if this investment will affect Airdrie, Jessica DeVreeze, Housing Policy Strategist at the City of Airdrie mentioned it does not look like it will according to the announcement, but does still have some hope.
“The announcement made by the province indicates that they are looking for a contractor to assist with implementing affordable housing capital maintenance and renewal activities on behalf of the province. As the announcement indicates that these funds will benefit 'government-owned' affordable housing, we anticipate that the funds will largely be directed at provincially owned buildings, of which there are none in Airdrie.
Acknowledging that the process for applying for these funds has not been announced, we hope that an opportunity for affordable housing providers operating buildings not owned by the province will be outlined in the future.
We look forward to learning more about how the province will support affordable housing providers serving low-income Albertans in Airdrie.”
According to the government, Since 2019, they have invested almost $850 million to build more than 5,100 affordable units and close to 900 shelter spaces.
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