City of Calgary celebrates new affordable housing development in Kingsland
A dedication and community celebration was held September 9 for a new affordable housing development in the community of Kingsland, the third new City of Calgary affordable housing development to open this year. Named Clarke Court in honour of Ann Clarke, long-serving member of the Kingsland Community Association, this new development will provide affordable homes to 32 individuals and families.
“Clarke Court is another big step forward on the road to build more affordable housing for Calgarians,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “Every new affordable home for our fellow citizens in need makes our whole community stronger and more resilient. We remain committed to working closely with the federal and provincial governments to provide more safe and stable homes for Calgarians.”
Clarke Court features eight studio, eight one-bedroom, eight two-bedroom, and eight three-bedroom households. Two of the homes are barrier free and one is built to accommodate the visually impaired.
Funding for the development was provided by the Provincial Government through $3.9 million in Affordable Housing Program Municipal Block Funding and via $3.3 million in municipal funding through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative.
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home,” said Seniors and Housing Minister Lori Sigurdson. “There are more than 110,000 Albertans living in government-supported affordable housing. Our Provincial Affordable Housing Strategy, which we announced in June, will give individuals the tools they may need to stabilize their finances, find a safe home and build better lives.”
The City worked with the community of Kingsland to ensure the building was well designed and integrated into the neighbourhood. A special presentation was made to Ann Clarke, whom the building is named after, at the opening celebration.
“We’re very excited to celebrate the opening of Clarke Court”, said Sarah Woodgate, Director of Calgary Housing at The City and President of the Calgary Housing Company (CHC). “These developments are more than about building homes – they’re about building families and community and Clarke Court really exemplifies the spirit of community in bringing this development to life”.
The Calgary Housing Company (CHC) will manage the building and will work with the residents and the community to create and maintain a safe, secure and well-managed property. CHC has been Calgary’s leading housing provider for 40 years and manages over 10,000 affordable housing units with more than 25,000 tenants and provides a variety of mixed income housing options.
Several other City of Calgary affordable housing developments are currently being planned or underway including a 48-household development in the community of Wildwood and 16 future households in Rosedale.
In addition to Kingsland, a 16-household property was completed in Crescent Heights in May and a 24-household property in Bridgeland was completed in July. CHC also recently completed a regeneration project for a 26-household property in Bankview and a 27-household property in the community of Mission.
