Edmonton to redevelop aging townhouses, apartments for affordable housing

The City of Edmonton plans to take an 80-unit housing complex in the northeast neighbourhood of Londonderry, which is no longer fit for human habitation, and replace it with a high-density mixed-income building. The rents from the more expensive units would subsidize those of people with lower incomes. The model is based on Regent Park in Toronto, which contains more than 2,000 units with rent geared to income. Mayor Don Iveson said if the plan works, the city will be able to build similar projects more quickly. The Edmonton pilot project is just one step in a strategy to build and maintain the number affordable housing units as the demand climbs.

The city’s plan is to redevelop the aging townhouse and apartment sites scattered throughout its 1970s’ neighbourhoods with a higher density mix of both market and low-income housing. Iveson said the number of people in need of help when it comes to†housing has risen†more than 30 per cent in the last 10 years, while the city has only grown about 20 per cent. Council discussed the plan in its October meeting and agreed to lobby the federal government for the dollars. Council approval is still required for the housing plan.