The Canadian federal government and developer Onward Homes are partnering to build 72 affordable housing units in Calgary's Currie neighbourhood [1].
This project addresses the urgent need for accessible housing in Alberta's largest city by utilizing federal land for a mixed-income development. As housing costs continue to rise, such initiatives aim to stabilize the local rental market and provide secure living options for a broader range of income levels.
The development will be situated on federal land within the Currie Barracks area [2]. To facilitate the construction, the federal government is providing $29 million in funding [2]. This financial commitment is designed to ensure the units remain affordable for residents who would otherwise be priced out of the current Calgary market [2].
Onward Homes will manage the development process to create a community that integrates various income brackets. By leveraging government-owned land, the partnership reduces the typical overhead costs associated with land acquisition, a primary barrier to affordable housing development in urban centers [1].
The 72 units [1] represent a targeted effort to increase the overall supply of housing in the city. The project focuses on the Currie neighbourhood to integrate affordable options into an existing residential and commercial framework [2].
“The federal government is providing $29 million in funding”
This partnership demonstrates a strategic shift toward using federal land assets to bypass the high cost of real estate, which often renders affordable housing projects financially unviable. By combining direct funding with land grants, the government can accelerate the delivery of units in high-demand urban areas like Calgary.
