52-unit affordable housing opens in Whitehorn for low-income families
HomeSpace project begins welcoming residents; rent set at 30% below market rate.
A long-anticipated 52-unit affordable housing development has opened in northeast Calgary, offering low-income Indigenous and newcomer families a foothold in a tightening rental market.
The Whitehorn project, developed by HomeSpace Society, provides three-bedroom units at $1,455 per month and two-bedroom units at $1,325—both 30 per cent below market rent. The first five families are moving in next week, with the rest selected by partner organizations Inn from the Cold and Miskanawah.
"There's an affordability crisis in our city," said Bernadette Majdell, HomeSpace's CEO. "Providing non-market housing for families, in particular, means that there'll be 52 families who don't have to sleep in a shelter or in their car or in tents."
The building offers 26 parking stalls, 60 bike stalls, a cultural space for Indigenous families, an 8,000-square-foot amenity area with a basketball court, and a playground featuring a mini-tipi. Forty-nine units are three-bedroom apartments; three are two-bedroom.
Heather Morley, CEO of Inn from the Cold, said her organization will work with different levels of government to offer financial assistance based on tenant need, covering rental subsidies, furniture referrals, and support services to ensure families remain stable in their housing.
The project resulted from the city's decision to lease two parcels of municipal land to HomeSpace, a strategy aimed at addressing Calgary's chronic shortage of affordable housing for families.