Edmonton is celebrating the completed renovation or upgrading of nearly 2,000 affordable housing units. Civida, which manages 5,400 affordable units through agreements with both the municipal and provincial governments, has seen 882 units at 11 sites upgraded since 2023, when the federal government allocated $12.8 million and the city $10.5 million to repair social housing on city-owned land. The properties were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are leased to Civida. Many received structural updates, like new foundations and upgraded electrical systems. Others saw more visible improvements, Civida CEO Bree Claude said. “Like hot water tanks and windows, but also the repairs included taking down old and decrepit fencing that was creating challenges and safety issues. And also just to make it a beautiful site where our tenants have not only safety and affordability, but also a strong sense of pride,” she told reporters Thursday during a tour of a refurbished townhome development on Richfield Road. Renters of these subsidized units spend no more than 30 per cent of their income on rent. None had to move out during the construction process. An additional 1,076 mixed-income townhomes and apartments at 15 sites owned by HomeEd were retrofitted to make the units 25-per cent more energy efficient, and improve accessibility and sustainability. Ottawa contributed $6.8 million and the city $3.5 million to this project. “That’s really going to translate into reduced utility costs for our residents, as well as ensuring that any additional capital we now don’t have to deploy there can be put back into our self-sustained rent subsidy program,” CEO Nick Lilley said. HomeEd is the city’s non-profit housing corporation. Half of the retrofitted units are rented at less than 80 per cent of the market rate. The operators and governments all agree that upgrading existing housing stock is economical and as important as adding new supply. Edmonton-Centre MP and federal Minister Eleanor Olszewski called renewal an “important part” of Ottawa’s housing strategy. “We spend a lot of time talking about the need for additional housing – and that is critically important and we’re not going to let up on that need – but at the same time, we have a lot of housing that was built pre-1990s that never really felt like it had a plan for that full renovation that you would expect,” Mayor Andrew Knack said. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Klippenstein
