Affordable housing projects near completion with hundreds on wait-lists

Several affordable housing projects that will add nearly 150 units to P.E.I.'s market are set to open soon, but advocates and developers alike say there's still more affordable housing needed on the Island. 

Construction is nearly complete on a new affordable housing complex in Charlottetown's Hillsborough Park area, near the city's French-language school École François-Buote on Acadian Drive.

It's the biggest apartment building the Kings Square Affordable Housing Corporation has ever undertaken — a 60-unit building, with 50 slated as affordable. Rent for affordable housing is considered 25 per cent of a person's income.

"It's a dream come true for us — we had a tremendous list of people that needed housing," said Bill Campbell, president of the corporation.

"We got some very good support from the province and very good support from the federal government and the Sisters of Saint Martha came in and helped us out as well. Hence we are calling it Martha Place."

It will have a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as community outreach services run by the Sisters of Saint Martha of P.E.I.

"Tremendous satisfaction in giving somebody something affordable that they can be proud of," Campbell said.

More projects underway

The province is putting up a seniors' building with 32 affordable units in Charlottetown and developer APM is working on a few other housing projects as well. 

One building in Stratford and another in Montague are slated to have 30 affordable units each.

"It really boils down to people need affordable housing," said Tim Banks, CEO of APM Group.

"We're short in the Charlottetown market by about 600 units in the affordable category and in the Summerside marketplace, probably 300."

Banks said they are in the final stages of construction at Martha Place.

"We're putting cabinets in now up on the fourth floor, and we're putting flooring down, we're priming walls, doing those kinds of things and we're going to be done January 1st, subject to any more protocols put in place that would slow us down."

Campbell said he hopes people will be able to start moving in soon, as demand for affordable housing is high. 

He has about 200 on a wait-list.

"I'm hoping that our little project makes a modest dent in the demand," said Campbell. "I'm not sure, I really think we still need a lot more construction on this Island to solve the problem."

The P.E.I. Fight for Affordable Housing group hopes new apartments will make a difference, but members said government needs a better long-term vision and plan when it comes to affordable housing.

The province couldn't provide updated numbers, but 10 months ago there were 1,000 on its wait-list. 

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