Building Affordable Housing in Canmore—Without Sacrificing Quality

Finding affordable housing is a global struggle—one that the World Bank expects to impact 1.6 billion people by 2025. In Canada, only 26% of Canadians can currently afford to own a single-family home. Canmore is no exception. According to Kristopher Mathieu, Acting Executive Director at Canmore Community Housing, the town needs 600 more homes in order to comfortably house its residents, but an ongoing shortage of labour and materials continue to present a barrier.

Population growth is a factor, too. “Ten years ago, Canmore housing prices were less than half of what they are right now,” says Mathieu. “I think that enticed a lot of people to move here, especially during the pandemic. Then property values skyrocketed.”

Demand for Canmore housing continues to increase, and by 2030, the housing gap is expected to expand from the current 600 to 2,500. “That’s a big increase in a town with a population of 16,000 people,” says Mathieu.

As a result, building affordable housing is now at the top of Canmore’s to-do list.

Enter the Stewart Creek Rise Project

The Stewart Creek Rise Project Canmore Community Housing (CCH) development, is just one of Canmore’s affordable housing initiatives. When the project came along, it felt like a perfect fit for Ashton Construction Services (ACS).

“ACS understands the market,” says Mathieu. “We have a fairly aggressive schedule because we need to deliver housing as soon as we can. It pays off to work with a local company that understands the trade market and has a personal relationship with a lot of the other trade workers here.”

For added local flavour, Montane Architecture joined the project as well. “We’re all one big team on this,” says Mathieu. “Montane Architecture’s worked with the ACS team on Canmore housing before and Lea Lohnes, Architect, AAA, AIBC, owner of Montane Architecture and the architect on record, has done a lot of projects in mountain environments.”

This 18-unit development will include a mix of three-bedroom row houses with attached garages, and two-bedroom stacked duplex homes. “They’re going to be visually different from the homes in the adjacent lot and across the street,” says Mathieu. “But they’re similar sizes with good layouts. They’re on great real estate. And there’s lots of storage—because everybody in Canmore has bikes and kayaks.”

The best part? Prices will range from $400,000 to $660,000. “In the Stewart Creek area, it costs between $1 million and $2.5 million for a very similar product,” says Mathieu. “We’re proud to be able to sell our housing at 40% below market value.”

What Is Affordable Housing?

Canmore Community Housing (CCH) is an independently run non-profit. The organization, which is fully funded by the town of Canmore, aims to increase the amount of affordable long-term housing available in the community.

However, many people confuse affordable housing with social housing—and it’s important to understand the difference. Affordable housing is not specifically social housing, which is subsidized by government. According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) “…housing is considered ‘affordable’ if it costs less than 30% of a household’s before-tax income… it’s a very broad term that can include housing provided by the private, public and non-profit sectors.”

5 Factors to Consider When Building Affordable Housing

It can be challenging to keep building costs down, but with a little planning and innovation–and the right team—it can be done. Here are five factors to consider if you’re thinking of buying, developing, or investing in affordable housing in Canmore.

1. Use Space-Saving Building Plans

Start by making the most of the space you have. A lot of Canmore housing has mountain-inspired architectural features, like peaked roofs. The result? Great window views, but a lot of wasted attic space and less efficient heating.

“We asked ourselves how we could keep the view, and still build affordably,” says Mathieu. “When you stack a floor plan, you gain a bit of thermal heat throughout the building, but we needed to figure out what’s most important. Is it sustainability? Is it providing enough homes for people? And I think it’s both, so we’re building as tall as we can in order to get as many homes as possible into an 0.6-acre site.”

2. Take Advantage of Government Incentives

In Canmore, a typically serviced one-acre plot of land can easily cost $7 million or more. By deciding to build multi-unit row housing, Canmore Community Housing was already able to comfortably fit 15 homes on land that would normally only accommodate two single-family homes. By tapping into a government incentive that allows developers to add up to 20% more units to affordable housing projects, they’re now able to add three more units.

“Plus, if you’re on affordable housing land, you get a significant tax break when you’re building, purchasing, selling, and on your annual tax bill,” says Mathieu. “Single family homes don’t get that.”

By taking advantage of these incentives, Canmore Community Housing is able to reduce the cost of the land for each homebuyer by spreading it across 18 households instead of one or two.

3. Choose Materials Wisely

Design elements can make or break a budget. Architectural design guidelines for housing in Canmore require homes to include expensive design elements like large timbers and façades that are at least 25% stone. Fortunately, working with a builder who’s familiar with local guidelines and appeal processes can help. In the case of the Stewart Creek Rise Project, the team was able to negotiate with the municipality.

“We pointed out that a big part of the façade will be hidden by landscaping because we’re a big proponent of bringing nature back into what we do,” says Mathieu. “They’ve been very good about accommodating us.”

Once you’ve chosen materials, it’s key to watch commodity prices closely so you can buy at the right time. Of course, that’s not always possible when you’re on a schedule, but working with a local contractor can help with this, too. “We’re really happy to work with the ACS team because they’ve shown resilience in getting materials and tradespeople together when times are tough,” says Mathieu. “And if I need help, I can just pick up the phone.” 

4. Build in Opportunities for Future Savings

Developers can take measures early on to minimize ongoing expenses for future homeowners. Canmore Community Housing has opted to use ICF foundations, which create strong thermal bridges between warm inside air and the sometimes-frozen ground. The up-front cost is a bit higher than a typical foundation, but it pays for itself over the long-term. As an added bonus, it provides excellent sound insulation—which is a critical consideration for multi-family housing.

The Stewart Creek Rise Project team has also found an alternative to traditional furnaces. Instead, they’re using a boiler water system that provides hot and cold water to all levels of the home, while saving energy.

“It also allows homeowners to control all the HVAC in their own home,” says Mathieu. “Again, the upfront cost is a little bit more, but in two or three years they’re essentially paid for. Then the future homeowners have the rest of their life to enjoy fairly cheap energy.”

5. Work With Local, Experienced Partners

At Ashton Construction Services, we’re dedicated to our community, and we’re proud of the relationships we’ve nurtured over the years. From tradespeople and suppliers to government and other stakeholders, we know who to talk to when challenges arise. We’re grateful that Canmore Community Housing recognizes what we have to offer.

“ACS understood the timeline on this project and knew the subsurface conditions, because they’re building homes literally next door and across the street,” says Mathieu. “They’ve been great about being open about who’s involved, and who’s doing what. They’re also proactive—and I quite like working with people like that. These factors really helped us decide who to build with.”

Ready to start your journey? Contact the Ashton Construction Services team for experienced, local commercial construction expertise.

Feature Photo: Eva Urbanska Photography
Rendering Images: Montane Architecture

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