Aging affordable housing gets $18M boost for repairs and renovations

Affordable housing units in Calgary for low-income families and seniors will soon be receiving some major and much-needed repairs and renovations.

An $18 million investment, splitby the provincial and federal government, will be spent fixing social housing units throughoutCalgary including heating, ventilation and plumbing repairs, as well asrenovations and replacements of roofs and elevators.

"Many buildings in Alberta are showing their age. Many units are in such disrepair that they are closed," said LoriSigurdson, the provincial government's minister forseniors and housing.

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Sigurdson made the funding announcement Wednesday morningat Bridgeland Place.

Owned by the City of Calgary and operated by the Calgary Housing Company, Bridgeland Place will receive $648,000 for suite renovations, replacing shut-off valves, a roof inspection and sidewalk replacement.

Similar projects will take place inmore than 120 buildings in Calgary for seniors, community and special needs housing, ownedor operated by 29 social housing providers.

Sigurdsonnoted that Alberta isone of only three provinces without an affordable housing strategy.

Coun. Brian Pincott, who is alsochair of the Calgary Housing Company, said therepair costsarehigher than theyshould be, as funding from governments hasn't kept up.

He welcomes the injection of funds.

"For the first time, at the provincial, municipal and federal levels, we have government partners who are understanding that this isn't really about bricks and mortars and how we build buildings, this is actually how do we support people," he said.

The funding was made available through the 2016 - 2018 Social Infrastructure Fund,a two-year federal and provincial agreement to helpAlbertansin need of affordable housing.

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