Saskatoon city council clears the path for 256 new affordable housing units

Saskatoon city council has unanimously approved recommendations to move forward with federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) grants, and a five-year tax abatement for three future affordable housing units.

A 112-unit building in Saskatoon’s downtown will be run by the Open Door Society and dubbed “Welcome Place.” Another 120-unit building called “Camponi Commons” will be located on the grounds of the Lakewood Civic Centre and a third building with 24 units at the corner of Broadway Avenue and Ruth Street.

Altogether, $12.8 million out of an available $15 million from the HAF will be used for the three projects. The five-year tax abatements will go into effect once the projects are completed and will amount to just under $2 million.

Angela Bishop, with Camponi Housing, told city council the project at the Lakewood Civic Centre will contain mainly three and four-bedroom units — where the highest demand is, but it’ll also offer some smaller apartments for elders and seniors.

“As part of the Camponi Commons project we will have an onsite presence, and in partnership with other agencies, we will offer training opportunities, childcare, cultural activities and programming, and onsite supports such as wrap-around services,” she explained.

Bishop said they “intend on being good neighbours,” and anyone who wants to reach out to them is welcome to do so.

“We want to establish good relationships with our neighbours and we can achieve that through discussion and dialogue,” she said.

Ahmad Majid, with the Open Door Society, told city council his group also plans to provide wrap-around services in the downtown building, with a focus on low-income individuals and newcomers.

“The breakdown includes 30 two-bedroom units, 20 three-bedroom units and 10 four-bedroom units in our family-oriented category. Twenty studio units and 10 one-bedroom units for the single resident units, five one-bedroom and five two-bedroom accessible units,” he said — along with several temporary housing units.

The building could break ground in August 2026, while project completion could be 18 months after that.

Each group will have to now enter into a sale/purchase agreement with the city, will have to keep the homes affordable for the next 20 years and can only rent to low-income households as defined by the Saskatchewan Household Income Maximums.

Ward 5 Coun. Randy Donauer also asked Sarah King, city housing manager, whether tenants would be subject to re-assessment if their financial situation changes, so they could “graduate out” of affordable housing to make way for others.

“That is something that is included within each of these proposals that’s before you today… we will be doing an annual monitoring and reporting that the proponents will have to attest to,” King said.

Mayor Cynthia Block said affordable housing is desperately needed in the city.

“I think many of us have had questions about affordable housing in neighbourhoods and I don’t blame residents for being perhaps a little jittery any time they hear about government-subsidized housing,” she said.

“But I think that what folks probably don’t know, is that there’s affordable housing throughout the city right now. In the downtown, in Nutana, in Lakeview, in every area of our city we have affordable housing.”

Block said she looks forward to updates from both Camponi Housing and the Open Door Society.