"The Ryder" was an Anhart build in Hope, BC, which offers 40 units of affordable housing. Anhart is looking to construct a similar facility here in Grande Prairie (Photo: Anhart Homes / Anhart Community Housing Society)

By Shaun Penner

Affordable Housing

Non-profit society seeking to build affordable housing units in Grande Prairie

Nov 20, 2020 | 3:11 PM

A Vancouver-based non-profit society is looking to address the issue of affordable housing across Canada, including here in Grande Prairie.

Following a presentation to a City standing committee from the Anhart Community Housing Society on November 10, Grande Prairie City Council unanimously voted on Monday to direct Mayor Bill Given to write a letter in support of the society for its application to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s $1-billion Rapid Housing Initiative fund. This to build an affordable housing complex here in the Swan City.

“We have a template, so to speak, of a 40-unit affordable housing rental apartment that would fit the needs of a number of different groups,” explained Keith Wiebe, the co-founder of the Anhart Community Housing Society, in conversation with EverythingGP.

The society is a charity that owns and operates affordable housing for low-income families (those with household incomes below $40,000 per year), an issue across Canada that Wiebe sees a “very inadequate response” to in Canada.

In 2017, leveraging a $10-million equity donation, the society began buying property and privately developing affordable housing projects in towns and cities across Canada, through a wholly-owned subsidiary called Anhart Homes.

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Anhart is committed to building 20,000 affordable housing units in towns, cities and First Nations communities across Canada by 2030 for families that are at risk of homelessness.

“Our approach is to contact all 3,500 Canadian municipalities and all 700 Canadian Indigenous governments. We are saying that our services are ready for any interested municipalities,” said Wiebe.

“Grande Prairie was an early responder in our communications, about two years ago. So, ever since then, we have been communicating with the municipality.”

Those conversations have involved city staff and the Grande Spirit Foundation, where the parties are in the process of acquiring land for the project.

The society currently has three projects which are either complete or under construction, all of which are in British Columbia (Vancouver, Merritt and Hope). The project in Hope, known as the Ryder, is an entirely modular built apartment-style complex, which Wiebe says allowed for much quicker construction.

Construction of the Ryder began in the summer of 2019 and tenants moved into the building in March of 2020.

“We have an agreement with Horizon North to provide the modular units,” said Wiebe. “We’re hoping to get that started in Grande Prairie, and hopefully that would fit the needs of a number of different groups.”

He adds a modular build would be the best way to get started in Grande Prairie.

“Because the whole project could be less than a year, from beginning to end,” he adds. “This is a method that gets housing up quickly, and it’s very high quality because the modules are built in a factory. There is an air space between the different units, so you end up with a very quiet (unit).”

Wiebe adds that Anhart finances the development of the projects and will use private funding sources as well as federal grants, like the Rapid Housing Initiative announced back in September.

“Anhart will work with whatever opportunities are available,” said Wiebe. “We will also work with limited partnership agreements, where we are not dependent upon any government programs.”

Wiebe adds that once projects like these are complete, they will look for local organizations to operate the facility, like the Grande Spirit Foundation.

More details on the society can be found on its website.