Housing units to be created to help Indigenous people facing homelessness in Edmonton

A site near Fort Road and 75 Street will soon be transformed into supportive housing units that will help dozens of Indigenous people facing homelessness, to have a permanent place they can call home.

“People are gonna got off the streets, people are gonna reconnect to their cultural identity, which is kind of what helped me get on the path that I’m on,” explained Christine Davies, housing program manager of NiGiNan Housing Ventures.

Davies was homeless for almost ten years. She says being connected to her community and with the support of Indigenous-led organizations like NiGiNan Housing Ventures, she was able to get back on her feet.

She now oversees housing sites with NiGiNan Housing Ventures, which offers temporary shelter and permanent housing to Edmonton’s houseless communities.

“To be able to have Indigenous-led organizations working for Indigenous peoples I think that is something that’s highly needed so it makes me really emotional and also puts me in a space of like feeling a sense of gratitude,” said Davies.

NiGiNan Housing Venture announced Monday a plan to build 14 new housing units near the Pimatisiwin site in northeast Edmonton. This is thanks to almost $10 million dollar in funding.

“We’re almost done with the development permit process and we’re hoping that we’re gonna be starting in the spring and we hope to have the building open in the spring of 2026,” explained Keri Cardinal, the CEO of NiGiNan Housing Ventures.

Cardinal told CityNews that once completed the two-storey level units will be able to house a maximum of 56 individuals who are either houseless or currently living in a temporary shelter.

“It will be people that will need support services. Need some type of level of support for three bedrooms upstairs. The basement suites are gonna be self-contained accessible suites and that might be for somebody who may be an elder who has mobility issues,” said Cardinal.

NiGiNan Housing Ventures is also receiving $10 million from Ottawa for another supportive housing site with site location and size to be determined in the upcoming months.

“As we increase the number of supportive housing in Edmonton. We’re seeing more and more communities that are petitioning these sites. The biggest thing that we need as Canadians is to open our hearts and start saying yes in my backyard,” said Cardinal.

The new funding comes as November is housing month in Edmonton to raise awareness for the need for safe and affordable housing.