News Release
Innovative housing model builds bright futures

A new Londonderry housing development provides services, amenities and safe, affordable homes for 240 families in north Edmonton.

The development offers families the choice of one- to five-bedroom suites and townhomes, with amenity space for community organizations and events. This new, innovative mixed-income model offers suites at market and near-market rates, along with social housing units.

Rents for the units are based on household income and can be adjusted as incomes change over time. This flexible model allows tenants with subsidized rents to seek higher paying jobs without fear of losing their homes – rents continue to align with income and housing is stable as long as tenants meet other affordable housing eligibility criteria.

Residents are expected to start moving into their new homes in February 2022.

“This is a great day for the Londonderry community and for families about to move into their new homes. This project illustrates how strategic partnerships and local knowledge will help us meet the diverse housing needs of Albertans now and in the future. Congratulations to Civida for inspiring innovation and inclusivity in providing affordable housing.”

Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing
“I’m so pleased to see that 240 families from Edmonton will now have access to safe and affordable housing. I look forward to working with the provincial government to ensure we can provide more access to this type of housing as it makes such an incredible difference in the lives of those who can access it.”

Amarjeet Sohi, mayor, City of Edmonton
“Everyone should have the house they need, that they can afford. Our Londonderry mixed-income housing complex has 240 beautiful, new units that have been designed to meet the fit, form and function of what people need in a home today, and to meet almost everyone’s budget. We’re proud to be offering these homes to Edmontonians.”

Mark Hoosein, interim CEO, Civida
The Government of Alberta provided $51.1 million of the total project cost of $87.3 million. Civida, the largest provider of social and affordable housing in Edmonton, contributed $36.2 million.

Investment in capital projects creates jobs and economic stimulus while supporting Alberta’s Recovery Plan. The Londonderry build created almost 640 jobs from design and construction to painting and finishing touches.

Located in the Kilkenny neighbourhood, the Londonderry development sits on a three-acre site owned by the City of Edmonton. The city agreed to a 60-year lease with Civida and the government through the Alberta Social Housing Corporation.

This project is an example of the new and innovative models the Government of Alberta is expanding with Stronger Foundations, Alberta’s 10-year strategy to improve and expand affordable housing while building a sustainable system that provides flexible, fair and inclusive housing options. It outlines the bold and thoughtful changes needed to provide safe, stable, affordable housing for an additional 25,000 households to increase the total served to 82,000 – an increase of more than 40 per cent.

Quick facts
Stronger Foundations: Alberta’s 10-year plan to improve and expand affordable housing reflects advice from the 2020 Affordable Housing Review Panel to redefine the government’s role, tap into community expertise, expand partnerships and simplify the system.
Mixed-income housing developments, by design, include households of different income levels and therefore require different levels of subsidization or rent calculations based on income.
Alberta Seniors and Housing’s Capital Plan 2021 allocates $238 million over three years to provide 1,800 new and regenerated affordable housing units while maintaining the 26,700-unit provincially owned portfolio and creating more than 1,700 jobs
Nearly 1,500 new units have been completed since 2019, of which about half were for seniors.
Budget 2021 injected $16 million into the Rent Supplement Program budget. The redesigned program provides critical housing support for about 11,600 households each year, 3,800 more than were served before the program redesign.
More than 57,000 Alberta households live in affordable housing and more than 24,000 are on wait-lists.

Meanwhile, Lori Sigurdson, NDP Critic for Seniors and Housing, made the following statement on the Londonderry affordable housing project:

“I was proud to invest $49.5 million to build the Londonderry complex as minister of Seniors and Housing as part of the NDP government. This project was possible because of partnership and collaboration between all levels of government.

“I hope the opening of the Londonderry complex convinces the UCP of the value of building affordable housing and the need to work together with municipalities and the federal government. Unfortunately, Bill 78 and the UCP’s plan to sell affordable housing has created much confusion and concern in our province. The project they are celebrating today would likely not have been built if they were involved.

“Alberta is way behind on affordable housing and has less than the average nationally. The UCP needs to substantially increase affordable housing so every Albertan has a safe place to call home. Sadly, the UCP would rather sell it away and Bill 78 gives them the authority to do so.”