The ‘intergenerational approach’ of the housing project aims to reduce social isolation and enhance the well-being of both young moms and aging adults, according to HomeSpace
A Calgary-based affordable housing provider held a grand opening for its newest property in Crescent Heights on Tuesday morning.
The four-storey “Hope Heights” building includes 35 affordable one-bedroom rental units and onsite services aimed at supporting young mothers and their children, as well as seniors.
The housing project was designed to provide stable, affordable housing for members of these vulnerable populations, with a focus on Indigenous communities, HomeSpace said in a news release ahead of the grand opening.
HomeSpace is a leading provider of affordable housing in Calgary, with more than 33 properties throughout the city serving upward of 1,300 Calgarians.
The “intergenerational approach” of the housing project aims to reduce social isolation and enhance the well-being of both young moms and aging adults, according to HomeSpace.
Dozens attended the grand opening on Tuesday, including representatives from various stakeholders involved with the project.
In a speech, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the completion of the building was “a testament to the collective belief that everyone matters and every life deserves to be lived with dignity.”
“The mixed model of blending seniors residences with affordable homes for young families is the type of intergenerational approach that will foster care in communities in a time when constructing homes is a top priority,” Gondek said.
“We’re not just building homes, we’re building places for people to succeed.”
‘Really exciting’: Young mothers thankful for initiative
Hope Heights residents will have access to on-site support services provided by Highbanks Society and McMan Youth Family and Community Services of Calgary.
Julia Gavin, 21, and Chastity Arbuckle, 19, are both single moms who have benefited from affordable housing initiatives offered by Highbanks Society, a non-profit that supports youth who are pregnant and parenting as they work towards completing their education.
Gavin said the program helps young mothers like her and Arbuckle who have struggled to find housing in a “not so great” market.
“We went through a time (when) there wasn’t any housing available,” Gavin said. “So now, there being actual units for us is just really exciting.”
Initiatives such as Hope Heights provide more than just housing, according to Arbuckle, who said it will also give a sense of belonging to young mothers who might not have the support of their own families.
Facing a wait list of more than 50 youths waiting for housing, Highbanks executive director Shannon Johansen said she was “thrilled” about the project that will allow them to support 10 more young moms.
“We look forward to moving our youth into this new building and helping them to create a home,” she said after the building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.
Funding from multiple levels of government
HomeSpace Society CEO Bernadette Majdell said the building’s grand opening was a culmination of “innovative partnerships” between various stakeholders working together to finish the project.
The project received $7.4 million in funding from the federal government and another $2.1 million through the provincial government’s Affordable Housing Partnership Program, according to HomeSpace.
The city chipped in with roughly $870,000, and Calgary-based builder Hopewell Residential donated $1.3 million to the project.
The total cost of the project was $11.5 million.
Tenants are expected to start moving in on Nov. 1.
New care home being built
Meanwhile, another housing project catering to seniors passed a major milestone on Tuesday as the Bethany Care Society broke ground on the construction of a modernized care home in the Hounsfield Heights-Briar Hill neighbourhood.
Funded in part by a $114-million commitment from the Government of Alberta, the 370,000-square-foot building will feature 420 continuing care rooms when it is completed in fall 2027, the non-profit said in a statement.
The new care home will offer a “home-like environment” for seniors and adults with disabilities.
Construction for the redevelopment project will take place on the southeast corner of the existing Bethany Calgary site, according to the statement.
Bethany Calgary is one of the oldest care centres in Alberta, supporting aging Calgarians and their families since 1945.