Wheatland County's efforts to address its growing seniors housing crisis have hit a setback, as the province once again denied funding for a new lodge and hospice facility.
The Wheatland Housing Management Board (WHMB) announced Thursday (July 17) that its group was not chosen as a recipient for funding through the Affordable Housing Partnership Program (AHPP).
WHMB has been seeking financial support from the program for three years.
"We've applied two other times, and we weren't picked," said Glenn Koester, chair of WHMB.
Koester noted that the selection process is highly competitive and challenging to navigate.
"We're competing against all the projects, all the affordable housing that's in the province and the lodging," he said. "There's a lot of need out there."
WHMB has spent the past eight years developing plans for a new 120-unit lodge and hospice facility, which would include six hospice beds, with the Wheatland Lodge. The group has conducted extensive stakeholder consultation in the early stages of planning for the proposed lodge and hospice project and has secured land for the build.
However, Koester added that housing facilities are often left without the necessary government support, making the funding process even more difficult. He noted that AHPP is one of the only government programs with the scale of funding required for such a build.
"It's the only [program] that I'm really aware of [that has] the quantity of money we're looking for," Koester said.
The housing crisis for Wheatland County and Strathmore continues to grow. A 2019 WHMB seniors' housing needs assessment and business case projected that the senior population in the Strathmore area would reach 2,136 by 2026. As a result, 1,411 housing accommodations will be needed, with 20 per cent of those individuals expected to require subsidized housing and care.
"We're going to need about 400 large spaces in our community," Koester said. "I believe the age group 85-plus in Strathmore and the area is the fastest-growing age group."
According to a Wheatland Lodge report posted July 18, the facility currently operates with a monthly waiting list. As of that date, 27 individuals were seeking to move in.
Koester said they are still looking for ways to strengthen future applications and review feedback from the province.
"One thing that [AHPP] said they would do is, after the fact, go over our application and suggest how we could do this differently or help us out on what they're looking for because of their parameters," Koester recalled.
Despite the recent funding denial, he emphasized the board's commitment to its long-term vision.
"We have an amazing board. We are also always trying to think of different ways to get this new lodge built."
WHMB's next steps include preparing a future application to the AHPP and reaching out to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for potential funding opportunities.