Federal government accelerates affordable housing construction in Edmonton
The federal government is stepping up efforts to tackle the housing crisis in Edmonton.
On Wednesday, Ottawa called for requests for qualifications (RFQ) from builders to redevelop a final section of land at the Village of Griesbach.
The RFQ will allow officials to select design-build teams based on their experience, innovation and use of prefabrication and modular construction methods to expedite builds and cut costs.
Construction is expected to begin next year on 355 new homes.
"We’re building mixed-income communities where at least 40 per cent of homes will be offered at below rate markets, making them more affordable to households with moderate and medium incomes,” Mike Kelloway, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of transport and internal trade, said while standing at a podium surrounded by fields buzzing with bulldozers and tractors on Wednesday.
“We're rethinking how federal lands and development expertise can be mobilized to deliver housing that is faster and more affordable.”
The land, which used to be home to the Canadian Armed Forces, is part of the federal government’s national inventory, managed by the Canada Lands Company.
The Crown corporation transforms former public properties and reintegrates them into local communities with the goal of ensuring long-term sustainability and commercial viability.
Similar projects are being launched in five other cities by the federal agency Build Canada Homes.
The new federal agency launched in September and is expected to rapidly increase the pace of housing construction over the next decade and finance affordable housing at scale, while catalyzing a more innovative housing industry that partners with the private and non-profit sectors. It is also expected to prioritize Canadian-sourced materials.
“We’re getting into the business of housing, and it's not just government,” Kelloway said.
“It's about the province, it's about the community, it's about First Nations organizations and municipal governments, and it's together that we're going to meet the challenge ... of building more homes than we did after the Second World War.”
It's together that we're going to meet the challenge ... of building more homes than we did after the Second World War.- Mike Kelloway, parliamentary secretary to federal minister of transport and internal trade
The countrywide initiative comes at a time when homelessness has been rising in Edmonton and across the country.
As of late last year, Homeward Trust Edmonton reported that the number of unhoused people was reaching 5,000. Numbers from a recent count are not yet available.
Griesbach is already home to some affordable housing programs delivered by other organizations.
“The new development will build on the strong foundation, helping to ensure that Griesbach continues to be a place where people from all walks of life ... live and grow, and most importantly, thrive,” Kelloway said.
Builders have until Dec. 22 to submit their proposals. Successful candidates will move on to the request for proposals stage in early 2026.
