The St. Albert Housing Society went out of its way to find a multi-family site for its future Big Lake Pointe affordable housing complex.
The not-for-profit housing society will look for public donations for its 98-unit apartment complex in North Ridge during its second annual charity breakfast next Friday.
Chair Stanley Haroun said the society took pains to avoid conflicts with neighbours from having to rezone land like an infill development. In fact, the board would only consider multi-family lots when it was scouting for a location.
"We're going in first, we're not going in last," he said of the site on Giroux Road near Ray Gibbon Drive. "Our preference is to take the road of least resistance."
Haroun stopped short of saying the society was hoping to avoid a similar fate as Habitat for Humanity, which ran into neighbourhood resistance to a proposed 58-unit townhouse complex at 70 Arlington Dr. The housing society has taken pains to avoid all discussion on the topic.
"We decided as board not to take sides and not to comment on that very project. It's a highly emotionally charged situation," he said, adding any support for or against would not help the organization's cause.
"No matter what, somebody is going to be angry at you."
Though officially neutral on Arlington Drive, Haroun said the housing society recognizes affordable housing is a serious issue in St. Albert.
"The need is great," he said. "Obviously any organization that can help to fulfil that need is very welcome."
Rental accommodation
With Big Lake Pointe the housing society hopes to fill the gap in St. Albert's rental market. The city's affordable housing plans say St. Albert needs between 3,500 to 4,000 rental units to address current needs.
Big Lake Pointe would be built in two phases, starting with 48 units in a four-storey complex. Six of those units would be wheelchair accessible while the rest will cater toward single families, singles and seniors with a view of Big Lake, Haroun said.
Construction on the $11-milloin first phase hinges on the society's ability to qualify for provincial grant dollars, something it failed to achieve last year. Haroun says he's more optimistic this year given the city spent the $2.3 million to purchase land.
That lowers the society's costs and improves its ability to maintain a mortgage estimated around $2.2 million.
"That gives us a much stronger position going into the next [request for proposal process]," Haroun said.
Two years after it transitioned from a council advisory committee to a non-profit, the housing society is starting to raise its profile in the community in the hopes of raising $3 million for Big Lake Pointe.
"It's a big number but you have to aim high," Haroun said.
Money raised from Friday's charity breakfast will go toward the project via the newly created Friends of the St. Albert Housing Society. The group is participating in the June 19 Roy Financial Mayor's Walk for Charity and has started planning a charity casino.
The housing society's breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m. on June 4 at the St. Albert Inn. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased by June 1. For more information call 780-544-2205 or e-mail [email protected].
