Canada supports over 240 new homes for Calgary seniors

Calgary, Alberta, March 9, 2022

Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Affordable housing is key to Canada’s pandemic recovery, especially for communities across the country, including in Calgary.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, was joined by George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary-Skyview, and Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary, to announce details of a federal investment of nearly $38 million to support the construction of 3 projects representing 244 units of new housing, with 188 of the units being affordable housing for seniors living in Calgary. The announcement took place at the official ribbon-cutting event for Silvera Vista Apartments, one of the projects receiving funding.

Located at 2622 39^th Avenue NE in Calgary’s northeast community of Horizon, the Silvera Vista Apartments is a former all-suites hotel consisting of 120 one- and two- bedroom apartments featuring shared laundry facilities, parking, and an on-site sports court. Over $15.5 million in federal funding was provided for the purchase and renovation of Silvera Vista Apartments as part of an initial $24.6 million allocated to the City of Calgary under the Major Cities stream of the Rapid Housing Initiative. Residents began moving in last December, and the building will soon reach full occupancy.

The Westview Residence West project, located at 5050 50^th Avenue SW, will expand Silvera’s existing Westview Community campus in Calgary’s Glamorgan neighborhood by adding 82 independent living units. The project is receiving $15.2 million from the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, and an additional $453,000 from the City of Calgary. Once complete, the Westview Community campus will offer three rental programs to support area seniors, including well-priced independent living, affordable independent living at below market rents, and supported living that includes dining, activities, and care supports delivered through home care. The campus model also enables older adults to age in place and remain in the neighborhood of their choice. The Westview Residence will reach substantial completion by this spring, with occupancy beginning shortly thereafter.

The Livingston Terrace project, located at 85 Livingston Hill NE, will be a modular independent living apartment building, creating 42 units in phase one with the potential to add an additional 21 units in phase two. The project is receiving just over $7 million through the Projects Stream of the expanded Rapid Housing Initiative, with an additional $2.6 million from the City of Calgary, and $3.8 million from Silvera directly. Livingston Terrace is expected to begin welcoming residents by spring 2023.

All three projects are owned and operated by Silvera for Seniors, a non-profit provider of a diverse selection of safe, affordable housing, and important services to Calgary’s seniors for 60 years.

This investment by the Government of Canada was made possible by the National Housing Strategy’s (NHS) National Housing Co-investment Fund (NHCF) and the Rapid Housing Initiative. These investments will continue to create thousands of good jobs in the housing and construction sector, grow the middle class, and build back stronger communities while getting us closer to our goal of providing safe and affordable housing across Canada.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Our government continues to create more affordable homes that meet the needs of seniors in Calgary. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

“The Silvera Vista, Westview, and Livingston projects are yet another example of what can be achieved when we work together. Through this collaboration, our government is helping to ensure that Calgary’s seniors have safe and affordable housing that enables them to thrive.”
— George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary-Skyview

“These projects will make a considerable difference in ensuring seniors living in Calgary have access to a safe and stable place to call home. We’re pleased to continue our collaboration with our federal partners as we deliver creative housing solutions that are helping address affordable housing challenges in our city.”
— Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary

“Silvera is pleased to partner with the Government of Canada and the City of Calgary to leverage its current assets and community-based contributions to add 188 units of affordable housing options for seniors in Calgary. This would not be possible without collaborative partnerships across all three levels of government, innovative funding programs that enable co-investment strategies, and involvement from key community partners such as donors, developers, and local community associations. The need to increase affordable housing options for seniors is not only backed by the aging demographic trends in our community but evidenced by the strong demand for the units in our Vista Apartments project that we are officially opening today. Silvera is committed to working with all levels of government to ensure that seniors with financial vulnerability don’t end up living in hospitals and/or become at risk of being homeless, with rising costs and many seniors living on fixed incomes this is becoming a bigger and bigger concern for Albertans.”
— Arlene Adamson, CEO, Silvera for Seniors

Quick facts:

Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $72 billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is a $2.5 billion program under the NHS aimed at creating over 10,000 new homes to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing.
The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and others who are among the most vulnerable, including: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2+, racialized groups, Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees.
Units are intended to be constructed within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants (with some exceptions), with units in the North and in special access communities intended to be constructed within 18 months.
The RHI has received significant interest from Indigenous groups, which resulted in over 40% of all units created under the program to be targeted to Indigenous peoples.
Close to 33 per cent of the Rapid Housing Initiative funding under round two will go towards women-focused housing projects.
The National Housing Co-investment Fund (NHCF) program is delivered by CMHC under the NHS.
With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF gives priority to projects that help those in greatest need, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, those dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes.
Under the NHCF, investments are also planned to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence, as well as create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.

Associated links:

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.