Ground was broken Friday on a $25 million transitional housing development in the northeast community of Whitehorn.
In February, HomeSpace Society was awarded the contract to develop on two city-owned sites at 3510 34 Street NE in Whitehorn/Horizon and at 14320 6 Street SW in Shawnee Slopes.
Each development will be 52 unites of two-storey, two to four bedroom townhouses.
The city says these projects will support families with children who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
“Breaking ground on this project is an exciting milestone in our mission. Every family deserves a safe and stable home, and by working together, we’re not only providing the support and resources to help homeless families thrive but also ensuring that these housing developments are completed as quickly as possible,” said HomeSpace CEO Bernadette Majdell. “HomeSpace is proud to move this project forward at such an impressive pace and create a better future for Calgary families.”
There will be amenity space, playgrounds, parking, and supportive programming at each site.
Jessica Cope Williams, VP Community Impact with the Calgary Homeless Foundation, says there is an urgent need to invest in family housing and the efforts of HomeSpace, the Homeless Foundation, and the City, address not only the immediate needs of those struggling, but lay the groundwork for a long-term solution.
“By empowering parents in their roles as caregivers, we enable them to foster stable environments and offer essential guidance to their children,” she said.
Cope Williams says there are lots of Calgary families in need of a place to live.
“There are currently 291 families on the wait list for housing in Calgary, a total of 894 individual family members, that’s a lot of little ones,” she said.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek says moving forward with these transitional housing projects addresses the city’s Housing Strategy which was approved last September.
“It’s clear that we cannot afford to have a status-quo approach and must quickly develop emergency housing for at risk families,” she said.
Construction on the site at Shawnee Slopes is expected to start later this winter and is likely to have a price tag similar to the Whitehorn project.