Affordable Housing for Calgary Families
HomeSpace is excited to announce that we have been awarded a City of Calgary Family Lease Site, at 3510 34 Street NE. As part of the City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy, this site is intended for affordable family housing to alleviate the pressure of the housing crisis on low-income families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
In the community of Horizon/Whitehorn, in close proximity to the C-Train line, we plan to construct 52 units of 2-storey, 3-bedroom townhouses. These homes will provide much-needed affordable housing as well as amenity space, playgrounds, ample parking, and supportive programming ensuring a nurturing environment for families to thrive.
Our goal is to alleviate housing pressure and offer families with children a stable foundation to build their futures. We are committed to working closely with these communities to ensure that our homes and residents seamlessly blend into the fabric of the neighborhoods, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support.
The HomeSpace vision is to create safe, beautiful, and affordable homes for families with children who are at risk of homelessness, and we are thrilled to be part of the solution to Calgary’s housing crisis.
Horizon/Whitehorn 3510 34 Street NE
Proposal Summary:
HomeSpace is proposing developing 52 units of two-storey, 1,300 square foot, three-bedroom, wood-frame townhouses in the community of Horizon/Whitehorn. We envision a lively protected street with families active in their front and back yards. To ensure that the development blends into the community’s architecture, the design is that of a traditional two-storey townhouse, with a pitched roof. This style is consistent with the existing community while also enriching the neighborhood with new buildings, activated amenity spaces, and landscaping. As the site benefits from being located in proximity to the Whitehorn LRT station, we picture a pedestrian-focused development with temporary loading zones and 56 resident and staff parking spaces tucked near the resident clubhouse. We are incorporating 6 (11%) barrier-free units and the buildings will perform at least 20% above current energy codes.
The townhomes will be constructed in blocks of 6-9 units for a total of 7 residential buildings with road entry and exit points onto both 34th Ave and 35th St N.E. The portion of the parcel within the airport vicinity Protection Area Boundary will be utilized as a 8000+/- square foot two-storey office/program/amenity space for family and agency use as well as a multi-use patio, and a children’s playground - as this portion of the land may not be developed residentially. Our projected timeline would see permitting and approvals in the Spring of 2024, with construction beginning in Fall 2024 and a grand opening in Winter 2026.
At a Glance:
52 units total
49 three-bedroom + 3 two-bedroom units
1300-1400 square feet/unit
26 parking stalls
8000 square foot amenity space
Patio + playground
6 fully accessible units
21% above 2017 NECB energy standards
Construction starts October 2024
Open Winter 2026
Our Partners:
Our project partners are Gibbs Gage Architects, the site & building designers, Hopewell, the construction managers, and Hive Developments, the community engagement facilitators. Homespace will own and operate this project, which will provide below-market rental units to families in need of housing.
Proposed Design:
Want to chat with us? Engagement events for these developments will be posted here as they are confirmed.
Norris House: A Proven Model for Family Housing
This family townhouse model is working particularly well in our Norris House development in Seton, where families are supported by agency Closer to Home (CTH). The 45 stacked townhomes of Norris House are owned and operated by HomeSpace and opened in October 2023. Closer to Home accepts referrals for qualifying families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to take up residence in each townhouse unit for 10-14 months.
Families may fall into homelessness for a variety of reasons, including rising rents, evictions, undersupply of family-sized housing, life circumstances such as job loss, divorce, domestic violence, unexpected injury or disability, new refugee status, or barriers to housing such as racial discrimination.
At Norris House, Closer to Home provides social support to stabilize these families, including workshops on maintaining a home, budgeting, securing, and maintaining employment, parenting classes, and community events including game nights, BBQs, and family drumming circles to establish healthy routines. Once families have stabilized and are ready for market housing, CTH continues to offer in-home support, and resources to ensure the families don’t fall back into the cycle of homelessness.
Closer to Home describes the townhouse-style homes as particularly suited to the families served, reducing shared walls and promoting a harmonious living environment. Families receive comprehensive support on-site, including a Family Resource Centre, individualized support, and family service plans, addressing a spectrum of challenges faced by families. Furthermore, families are connected to resources such as family doctors, dentists, counselors, and other supports. These factors help families move along the housing continuum from homelessness to stability. Due to high demand, there are no vacancies at Norris House.
All buildings owned and operated by HomeSpace have a partner agency that provides support for our residents. HomeSpace will hold a Request for Proposals and a local family housing program will be selected to provide supports for residents of the townhomes we are building on the Family Lease Sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
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HomeSpace Society is a registered charity with the sole mission to build, maintain, and manage affordable housing for vulnerable Calgarians. HomeSpace owns and runs a portfolio of 892 units of housing in over 34 properties throughout Calgary and serves over 1300 residents. In each of these properties, HomeSpace partners with a social service agency that provides wrap-around support to keep residents safely housed and connected with the resources they need to thrive. HomeSpace has a strong growth mandate to build more specialized, permanent, affordable housing to address the growing crisis in our city. Explore this website for more information.
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Families with children.
On September 16, 2023, Calgary City Council directed Administration to dedicate two City-owned sites to develop housing to support families with children who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness, as part of The City’s Housing Strategy in response to the housing crisis in Calgary.
Families must qualify based on need and income as determined by Calgary’s Coordinated Access & Assessment system.
The intent for both sites is to provide homes for families with children for a temporary period of time, bridging the gap from homelessness to permanent housing. These families will be provided with on-site supports to help them reach a level of stability that will allow them to gradually transition to market housing. Children go to school, parents secure stable employment and receive the care they need to address barriers to housing.
Residents pay monthly rent based on income, are required to adhere to guest management and other house rules, and voluntarily participate in activities and supports provided by our partner agency. -
Homelessness does not belong in anyone’s backyard – that is why it is so important we work together to end it. Ending homelessness needs community.
When The City selected these sites, it took a wide number of considerations into account. This included: the size of the parcel so that it could accommodate a development that would support families with children, as well as proximity to public transit, schools, grocery stores and other commercial amenities.
These two locations in the north and south, will ensure families are close to the resources they need.
It takes every Calgarian’s commitment to seek change and to work together to create liveable, sustainable and inclusive communities. When we provide housing with supports for families experiencing homelessness, they have the resources to rebuild their lives at home within a community of support.
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We have proposed ample parking on-site with more than 1 stall per unit. Plus, most of our residents do not own cars. Due to proximity to the C-train line, these developments are designed to be pedestrian-friendly, and should not impact parking in the area.
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Housing is needed throughout Calgary. This includes market rentals, below-market units, and dedicated affordable housing.
It is important that we welcome housing in all forms across the city to accommodate incoming and existing Calgarians. Affordable housing ensures families thrive, young people establish themselves, and seniors can age in place.
Affordable Housing refers to units that are rented at below market rate, in this case managed by HomeSpace and our agency partners to support our residents.
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No. Various studies show that supportive housing does not lead to increased rates of crime. Research was conducted in Vancouver, Toronto and Denver.
City of Vancouver: http://vancouver.ca/people-programs/supportive-housing-in-your-neighbourhood.aspx & Supportive Housing Strategy for Vancouver Coastal Health’s Mental Health & Addictions Supportive Housing Framework, June 2007. City of Vancouver.
deWolff, A. (2008). We Are the Neighbours: The Impact of Supportive Housing on Community, Social, Economic and Attitude Changes. Toronto, ON: Wellesley Institute.George Galster, Kathryn Pettit, Anna Santiago, and Peter Tatian. The Impact of Supportive Housing On Neighbourhood Crime Rates. Journal of Urban Affairs. Volume 24, Issue 3, pages 289–315, Fall 2002.
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We take pride in the design and maintenance of our buildings. Like all property owners, we are passionate about maintenance and upkeep to retain asset value. While the residents may be lower income, our buildings are designed to blend into the community and to not only be aesthetically pleasing but to also conform to the architectural character of the neighbourhood.
Research shows that there is no negative impact on property values associated with social housing. Canadian research has been conducted on social housing sites in Vancouver, 7 social housing properties throughout British Columbia (Kelowna, Surrey, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Esquimalt and Victoria), and Toronto.
Calgary-specific research was conducted in early 2018 by Avison Young. This research looked at the prices of residential properties in close proximity to 2 current buildings that HomeSpace owns and operates with a partner agency that provides supports to our residents.
This independent research found that there was no negative impact on residential property values in proximity to these 2 permanent supported housing apartment buildings. The analysis indicated that long-term residential values for dwellings located close to the properties are no different than value changes evident much farther away.
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Please use the form at the bottom of this page to submit your comments. You are also welcome to attend one of our Community Engagement info sessions to ask questions and share your comments on our proposal. We will update this page as those sessions are scheduled.
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HomeSpace does not rent directly to tenants, but accepts referrals for residents from Calgary’s Coordinated Access Assessment system. See the “Get Housing” section of this website for details about how to get on a list for affordable housing.
Have a comment about our development plans? Please reach out!