Edmonton city council approves land and funds for affordable student housing

Edmonton city council talks more money for affordable housing in the city — including $15 million from Ottawa to create more student housing downtown.

The city will use the funds from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to build student housing in downtown near Macewan University and NorQuest College.

University of Alberta student leaders say this is essential. The campus food bank has seen a 600 per cent increase in usage, with the number reason being rent increases.

“The university is planning to go to 60,000 students, but at the end of the day it comes to supply and demand. If there is more supply for students that are going to MacEwan or NorQuest, that can free up other spaces our students can use. And at the same time, a lot of our students live in the downtown area,” said Abdul Abbasi, the VP External of the University of Alberta Students’ Union.

City leaders also approved a below-market land sale and over $22 million in grant funding agreements to non-profit and private developers for affordable housing.

“What we’re looking at is 60 supportive housing units,” said Keri Cardinal, the CEO of Niginan Housing Ventures.

Cardinal runs an Indigenous-led transitional housing support in Edmonton that was approved for a below-market land sale in the Spruce Avenue neighbourhood in central Edmonton. Also receiving over $5 million in grant funding.

A report to councillors showing the more than $22 million investment in affordable housing is expected to create over 2,000 jobs and generate over a million dollars a year in property tax uplift.

But as the number of Edmontonians experiencing homelessness has risen to around 5,000 people.

Edmonton’s mayor is reminding other levels of government that the city still needs investment in affordable housing.

“Those levels of government are stepping up, and I acknowledge that. But more needs to be done. And we all need to work together, and we all need to pool our resources that we are maximizing these investments and continue to make a dent in this growing area of crisis that we’re facing,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.

The City of Edmonton hopes to have over 4,600 affordable housing units built or renovated to live in by 2026.