This year’s Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) housing awards theme focussed on affordable housing innovations. This is the seventh time the biennial
awards have been held since their creation in 1988. The 2002 program was all about recognizing individuals and organizations that have aided in the reduction of housing costs in Canada for those otherwise unable to afford housing.
The award categories included: finance and tenure; technology and production; planning and regulation; concept and design; and process and management. Applicants had to have made, and implemented, a solution for housing in Canada within the last ten years.
The winners for this year’s competition are listed below, along with their achievements.
Stella Burry Corporation of St. John’s, Newfoundland, purchased a run down building, refurbished it, and opened it in August 2001. Carew Lodge, as they called it, now supports 14 tenants with affordable housing in an otherwise difficult market area.
The Whistler Housing Authority of Whistler, British Columbia, developed Beaver Flats Employee Housing for those working full time within Whistler. The apartment building contains 57 units rent controlled – avoiding increases with Whistler real estate prices.
Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corporation of Fort McMurray, Alberta, made use of 8 acres of donated land from the province of Alberta. Completing their first two phases of Edgewater Court has made available 120 rental units for the community. Their rent controlled houses, and energy-efficient design, will help keep costs down for the fully occupied buildings.
David W. Edwards Architect Ltd. of Regina, Saskatchewan, helped seniors feel more at home with his townhouse innovation. The Saskatchewan Housing Corporation owns hundreds of houses which rent to seniors at a lower cost. But a lot of the seniors are spread across small towns, and they tended to get lonely. What David W. Edwards Architect Ltd. moved about 100 homes together into one unit, making it into a single community ensuring the seniors would have company and find it affordable.
Hilditch Architect of Toronto, Ontario, designed a ten-townhouse complex with Dixon Neighborhood Homes. The property, which was complete on time and on budget, is set at 30 St. Lawrence Street where it fits into the surrounding area. Occupants keep their properties looking good, and participate in groundskeeping activities in exchange for affordable housing.
Napean Housing Corporation in Ottawa, Ontario, helped shorten the list of 4,000 people waiting for rental units. With land donation, a government grant, and some creative thinking, they were able to finance and launch a project to build 76 units. 65 per cent of the housing is subsidized, while the remainders are charged at market value.
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