City council approves spending $33M on two supportive housing projects

A lot in Edmonton's west-end Canora neighbourhood on April 10, 2024, that's the future site of a supportive housing project. (Sean Amato/CTV News Edmonton)

The City of Edmonton has chosen to start a pair of projects that failed to secure federal government housing funding.

City council's executive committee on Wednesday voted to spend $33 million from Edmonton's affordable housing budget for the projects in the Canora and Garneau neighbourhoods.

While another of the city's three proposed projects — a permanent supportive housing development that is under construction in Hollyrood — received both federal and provincial funding, the Canora and Garneau ones did not.

Both have secured funding from the province's Alberta Social Housing Corporation but did not garner money through the third wave of Ottawa's Rapid Housing Initiative.

Executive council heard from administration that if the city doesn't move forward soon on the projects, it risks losing provincial funding.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he believes spending the money now will get them started while he watches for new funding opportunities in the upcoming federal budget.

Sohi told media he's had a "good meeting" with federal housing minister Sean Fraser regarding funding.

"They're interested in providing more funding to the city to build additional supportive housing units, so we will continue those conversations," Sohi said.

Money from three rounds of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative has already helped fund the construction of 600 supportive housing units in Edmonton.

Work has already begun behind the scenes to purchase and prepare the Canora and Garneau sites, at 10111 154 St. NW and 11049 83 Ave. NW respectively, that will include almost 100 units with specialized supports.

Sohi said city council is committed to meeting its housing goals after declaring a housing emergency last year.