EDMONTON, AB, March 13, 2026 /CNW/ - Everyone deserves to live in a community that is welcoming, vibrant, and inclusive. That starts with expanding access to the housing and supports that are needed for everyone to live with dignity.

Across Canada, communities are feeling the effects of housing shortages, gaps in mental health and addiction care, and the growing pressures of poverty. Addressing these challenges requires practical, evidence-based solutions that connect people to stable housing and the services they need, while helping communities grow stronger for everyone.

Central to that work, the Government of Canada has launched Build Canada Homes, which is helping increase the pace of affordable homebuilding. Build Canada Homes is also helping fight homelessness by building transitional and supportive housing – working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities. It is building deeply affordable and community housing for low-income households, and partnering with private market developers to build affordable homes for the Canadian middle class.

Today, the federal government, alongside the City of Edmonton, Jasper Place Wellness Centre, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, announced $7.5 million in funding for the Parkdale2 project located at 11503 82 Street NW. This project will create a total of 24 new affordable homes in Edmonton. These units will be an expansion of the Bridge Healing Care Model in partnership with the Jasper Place Wellness Centre and Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation. They will operate as transitional housing space with wrap-around services for unhoused individuals who have been discharged from the hospital. The Bridge Healing Care Model also gives homeless patients access to a wide spectrum of support services, like gaining life skills, getting personal identification, and securing permanent housing.

For people leaving hospital without stable housing, discharge can too often lead to further crisis and repeat hospital visits. Transitional housing helps break that cycle by providing stability, dignity, and access to the right supports at the right time.

This project received funding under the Housing Accelerator Fund, which helps local governments across Canada cut red tape to build more homes faster. It drives innovation, incentivizes updates to planning systems and removes barriers to encourage local initiatives that create more housing options.

Edmonton proposed an ambitious plan and recently received its third installment of nearly $49.6 million reflecting the successful implementation of its Housing Action Plan. The initiatives in Edmonton's Housing Action Plan include modernizing the city's zoning bylaws, encouraging higher-density development in priority growth areas and near transit and leveraging city-owned land to accelerate affordable housing development. These actions establish a strong foundation for long-term housing growth across a range of housing options within the city.

The announcement was made by the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, alongside Andrew Knack, Mayor of the City of Edmonton, Murray Soroka, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of the Jasper Place Wellness Centre, and Lindsay Robertson, Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Brand of Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation.

The Government of Canada is making the housing investments that will build Canada Strong, which will help strengthen Canadian supply chains and create good jobs at every step of the homebuilding process.

Quotes:

"Strong communities are welcoming, inclusive, and built on dignity. But too many people are being failed by housing shortages, stretched mental health and addiction services, and the growing pressures of poverty. This investment in Edmonton will help connect people leaving hospital with stable housing and the supports they need to get back on their feet. Through the Affordable Housing Fund and Build Canada Homes, our government is working with partners to deliver practical, compassionate solutions that help communities thrive."– The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

"Bridge Healing is a truly innovative project that improves lives while helping reduce pressure on our health care system. It's inspiring to watch this model expand, and to see all levels of government coming together to make it happen." - Andrew Knack, Mayor of the City of Edmonton

"We are grateful to CMHC, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, and the City of Edmonton for investing the capital needed to expand Bridge Healing. Our care model focuses on stabilization, and these homes give people leaving hospital the space to reconnect with housing, healthcare, and community. When systems invest in stability, they create a more human way forward." - Murray Soroka CEO & Co-founder Jasper Place Wellness Centre

"At the Royal Alexandra Hospital, we see every day how the lack of stable housing can lead people to seek care in the emergency department when what they truly need is a safe place to heal. That's why our Foundation was proud to help make these homes possible. With partners like the Government of Canada, the City of Edmonton, and the Jasper Place Wellness Centre, this project shows how housing and healthcare can work together—relieving pressure on our ER while restoring dignity and stability for people rebuilding their lives." - Lindsay Robertson, Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Brand

Quick Facts:

• The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provided funding through low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partnered organizations for new affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable and community housing. This was a $16.1 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gave priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, Veterans, and young adults. The application portal for AHF is now closed as all funding has been committed.
  • As of December 2025, the Government of Canada has committed $14.44 billion to support the creation of over 56,900 units and the repair of over 174,700 units through the Affordable Housing Fund.
  • On September 19, 2025, the Government of Canada announced $1.5 billion top-up in loans for the AHF's New Construction Stream, to support the creation of over 5,000 new units starting in 2025-26. Additionally, the AHF's Rapid Housing Sub-Stream will be accelerated, by pulling $385 million in funding from future years. 
• Funding provided for Parkdale2 is as follows:
  • $4.1 million from the federal government through the Affordable Housing Fund
  • $900,000 from the Housing Accelerator Fund agreement with Edmonton
  • $734,000 from the City of Edmonton
  • $1.8 million from the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

Additional Information:

• Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information. 
• Build Canada Homes is ready to partner with organizations committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing across Canada. Learn more about the portal and the Investment Policy Framework.
• CMHC plays a critical role as a national convenor to promote stability and sustainability in Canada's housing finance system. CMHC's mortgage insurance products support access to home ownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. CMHC research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, CMHC contributes to advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate compatibility. CMHC actively supports the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable.

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SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)