Morinville’s first affordable housing complex has been named after a man many knew as Mr. Morinville.
Morinville councillors voted unanimously April 14 to name the affordable housing complex currently under construction north of the town’s cemetery Paul Krauskopf Court.
When complete, this 48-unit complex will be the first affordable housing project in town, and the town’s first net-zero housing complex.
Paul Krauskopf served on Morinville town council for 14 years and was the town’s mayor when he died in June 2013. His decades of involvement with the town’s fire department, Knights of Columbus and many other organizations earned the lifelong town resident the nickname “Mr. Morinville” from many town residents.
Krauskopf strongly believed that everyone should do what they could to support those going through tough times, and that’s what this project is about, said Morinville Mayor Barry Turner, who served three terms on council with him.
“It’s something he certainly would have been in favour of moving forward with as a project, and something he’d be very proud to have in Morinville, and proud to have his name associated with it.”
Originally set to open this spring, construction of Paul Krauskopf Court has fallen behind due to the coronavirus (which has necessitated limits on the number of workers on site) and is now set to wrap up late this year, said Homeland Housing CEO Raymond Cormie. Its units will have rents set 75 to 90 per cent below the market rate to make them affordable to young families and seniors. Solar panels, air source heat pumps, and other innovations will reduce utility costs and enable the complex to emit zero greenhouse gas emissions on a net basis.
Cormie said naming this complex after Krauskopf was a wonderful way to link it to community heritage.
