Tenants scheduled to move into new Calgary Housing homes in Rosedale

The community of Rosedale will welcome 16 new families and residents into the newly-completed Calgary Housing modular homes. The little homes are uniquely designed to make use of parcels of land left over from the widening of 16 Avenue N.W.

The modular homes were fabricated offsite, delivered and placed overnight by crane over the 16 Avenue sound wall, then completed in place with interior finishing, exterior cladding and landscaping. Each new home has a unique design to fit within the character of the neighbourhood, while landscaping at each site increases pride of residency, privacy and community. The designs came together through engagement with the community between 2015-2017.

“At a moment when we are all spending more time at home, I am very pleased to announce that 16 families and individuals will soon be moving into newly-completed affordable housing in Rosedale. Now more than ever, we all need a home that is safe and that we can be proud of,” says Councillor Druh Farrell, who is also the Board Chair for Calgary Housing Company (CHC). “Through collaboration with the Rosedale community, we have integrated an attractive, functional design which compliments the community aesthetic and will make a difference to Calgarians living on lower incomes.”

The homes include one-, two- and three-bedroom units and will be managed by Calgary Housing Company (CHC) under a mixed-income model, where tenants of diverse financial means are blended together. Some tenants pay rent that is closer to market-rate ($1050-1400/month), and other tenants pay rent that is set to 30 per cent of their gross income with a minimum rent of $350/month. The model is financially-sustainable with little to no reliance on government subsidy as the rents closer to market-rate help offset costs for the other units. It also provides an inclusionary approach to housing, bringing people from different financial backgrounds together as neighbours.

The development was designed and built with the environment in mind. Appliances, construction materials and an innovative building technique were used to enhance efficiency, performance and ability to limit the environmental impact. The development is conveniently located close to transit, schools, retail and employment services. These factors will be considered when the development pursues its LEED for Homes V4 certification.

“We’ve always known that affordable housing is about public health, but this is even more important now. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored our commitment to ensure that Calgarians have access to affordable housing,” says Mayor Nenshi. “The Rosedale development supports The City’s strategy to bring affordable housing to every community in Calgary. I want to thank our partners in government for making this development happen in these unique spaces.”

The City’s affordable housing strategy, Foundations for Home, identifies the need to work with non-profit housing providers, the private sector and other orders of government to add 15,000 new affordable homes to bring Calgary up to the national average for urban centres. It’s an ambitious goal, and every new home counts. To help Calgary get to the national average, the federal government, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Company (CMHC) has committed $28.4 M to the City of Calgary’s 10-year plan to build 1,000 new affordable homes, and the Government of Alberta has committed $29.7 M. The federal and provincial contributions are essential for the development of new affordable housing, like Rosedale.

“Access to affordable and safe housing is important for all Albertans and our government is working hard to deliver affordable housing to those who need it most,” says Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing, Government of Alberta. “The province is pleased to have invested $29.7 M to the City of Calgary to build 1,000 affordable homes over the last 10 years, which includes the Rosedale development. As we work to keep Albertans safe from the global pandemic, our province is also focused on creating jobs, growing the economy, and getting Albertans back to work and so I am pleased to share the investment has created about 217 jobs.”

Tenants will move in throughout the summer and early fall. You can learn more about the development and see the home designs at www.calgary.ca/rosedale.

Quick Facts:

• Total project cost is $3.96 M, or $247,500 per unit.
• CMHC committed $28.4 M to the City of Calgary’s 10-year plan to build 1,000 new affordable homes.
• The Government of Alberta committed $29.7 M to the City of Calgary’s 10-year plan to build 1,000 new affordable homes.
• The City of Calgary contributed the land and $1.2 M in capital costs. A 2019 appraisal places the land value at $1.83 M.
• The project generated construction jobs in both the Edmonton and Calgary areas.
• The homes are owned by the City of Calgary.
• Calgary Housing Company manages and operates these homes.
• The City will pursue LEED for Homes V4 certification for this development.
• Three of the homes are barrier free.
• The modular homes were prefabricated in the Edmonton area, delivered to Calgary and finished on site.
• The design-build team was composed of Formed Alliance Architecture Studio (FAAS) as the consultant, Eco Coatings & Exteriors Ltd. as the contractor, and RCM Condos Inc. as the modular builder.

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