Calgary Housing, the city and feds team up to repair more than 1,000 homes

Calgary Housing, the City of Calgaryand the federal government are teaming up to invest $33 million in repairing more than 1,000 homes across the city.

The announcement was made Wednesday by Calgary Skyview MP George Chahal, Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Calgary Housing president and CEO Sarah Woodgate.

"I know this project will bring so much important housing for so many families," Chahaltold reporters at a housing developmentin the northeast community of Falconridge.

The money will go toward replacing roofs, windows and doors, fixing building envelopes, and making the 1,052 homes more accessible and energy efficient.

Asked about what the city is doing to maintain affordable housing in Calgary, Gondek said it's important to consider the conditions people live under.

"I want you to picture yourself in one of these homesand then I want you to consider the fact that there is no maintenance dollars to help you stay in this home. That would be a dire situationwhere we would have to relocate families that have grown to be part of a community," she said.

"So what we really want to do is make sure people can stay in a place where they feel safe, where they're welcomed and where they belong. And that's why we're making these investments."

The federal government contributed $10million to the repair initiativethrough its Affordable Housing Fund, the City of Calgary invested $11.7 million, and$11.8million came from the Calgary Housing Company.

"We're very grateful for this program and the federal government's investment incritical infrastructure and recognizing the importance in the long-term viability of existing affordable housing assets,"Woodgatesaid.

She noted that with the homes undergoing these repairs, Calgary Housing is able to extend the lifecycle of the buildings by an additional 30 years.

"We cannot afford to lose these essential homes," Woodgate said.

Officials said 403of the homes that will receive the repairs are in the communities of Erin Woods, Falconridge,Huntington, McKenzie Towne, Millrise, North Haven,Queensland andVista Heights.

The city said 80 of the homes fall under its repair portfolio for highrises, while an additional569 homes will be fixed under various projects across the Calgary region.