68 affordable homes breaking ground in Mill Woods this week

Construction began Thursday for 68 affordable townhouses and single-bedroom units at a surplus school site in the southeast neighbourhood of Burnewood, marking one of the first completions in a batch of 11 housing projects the city announced last year.

The $23.6 million Kiniski Gardens project will split evenly between three-bedroom and single-bedroom units, with parking for 76 cars. Funding agreements cap rents between 60 and 80 per cent of market prices set by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The affordability commitment lasts a minimum of 40 years.

Marisa Redmond, executive director for Right at Home Housing Society, said the non-profit aims to maintain the homes as affordable housing in perpetuity. "Housing is the foundation upon which people build their lives," she said.

The city is providing the land, valued at $2.5 million, and a $3.4 million construction grant through the federal housing accelerator fund. Another $5 million comes from joint provincial-federal funding. Right at Home is covering the rest through traditional financing.

The project sits next to Julia Kiniski School in a residential neighbourhood with three other schools within walking distance. Mayor Andrew Knack noted the city is selling surplus land to developers at reduced prices as one of its strongest tools for building homes. "More than 46,000 households are living in unsafe, overcrowded, or unaffordable homes," he said.

Nine other projects are underway at surplus school sites across Belmont, Blue Quill, Caernarvon, Dunluce, La Perle, Lymburn, Miller, Overlanders and Summerlea, all at different stages of development. Combined, the 11 projects will deliver 1,300 new housing units, including 950 affordable ones.