Funding applications now open for faith organizations building affordable housing

A new program in Edmonton will see under-used churches turned into affordable housing.

Edmonton’s latest effort to source affordable housing is a $2-million fund for faith-based charities to add residential units to their properties.

Through the Faith Lands Affordable Housing Incentive, eligible charities could receive up to $135,000 for pre-construction work like feasibility studies and design for new builds or redevelopments.

Lodgepole Communitas, which hosts several Christian denominations in its church on Alberta Avenue, has a goal of building 40 units and a community space for seniors.

“If … we remove ourselves from (the) conversation around housing, I think we do a disservice to our mission,” rector Travis Enright told CTV News Edmonton on Monday. “Our mission is not necessarily to proselytize people. Our mission is to be neighbourly, our mission is to care, our mission is to show love and compassion…. And the way we do that is making sure that our buildings are used for that – not just on Sunday.”

According to the Canadian Urban Institute, 4,300 churches closed across Canada between 20009 and 2018, while twice that number are expected to close this decade.

Faith organizations are ideal partners in building affordable housing, the city says, because they are often located in established neighbourhoods with transit and other amenities.

Marisa Redmond, who has seen two churches converted into affordable housing as executive director of Right at Home Housing Society, says the long-term impact of each project was positive for both participants and the broader community.

“There are tons of them out there that we can do, and I think they can turn out really well if we invest the right amount of dollars and time,” Redmond said.

“I’ve had many congregations approach us to ask about the work, and they either have land or they have a building space… and so many questions. This money will help answer those questions and move these projects forward.”

The city says obstacles in this early stage often delay or kill a project’s momentum, which is why the funding is earmarked for pre-construction work.

Referring to a church that was converted in northwest Edmonton and the vibrancy it has brought to the community, Mayor Andrew Knack said, “We had community members come out and support that work, and that’s what’s so exciting to see: how we can do more of this because, this is a great model of for creating more affordable housing citywide in the communities with that community surrounding it to make sure it’s as successful as possible.”

The $2-million pot was funded in equal parts by Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund and the Edmonton Community Foundation.

The application portal will be open until Dec. 3 or until the program’s funds have been fully distributed.

Successful applicants will be eligible to apply for more funding in the future from the city’s Affordable Housing Investment Program.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton