Affordable Housing Opportunities for SARC Members

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner, February 3, 2025

Affordable housing is a term that has been in the news for many years now. Saskatchewan has a shortage of housing options, especially for the most vulnerable people in the province. Many SARC Members provide alternative housing opportunities that fall outside the CLSD funding model. These housing units range from basement secondary suites to multi-unit residential buildings. Opportunities exist for SARC Members to expand their housing portfolio and support more people with their housing needs. This article will highlight some affordable housing funding programs that are available and some ideas on how some of these options could be used by CBOs.

In 2017, the Federal Government created a $82+ billion, 10-year, National Housing Strategy (NHS). The goals of the NHS are to:

• Create new housing supply.
• Modernize existing housing.
• Provide resources and funding to Community Housing providers.
• Innovation and Research. 

The NHS also prioritizes areas for action. The top priority is addressing the housing needs of the most vulnerable Canadians, which includes people experiencing disability. Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is delivering this initiative and ensuring the NHS goals, targets, and shared outcomes are reached. Partnerships between various levels of government agencies, for-profit housing providers, and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to expand the outcome possibilities.

CMHC outlines several programs that offer funding to build or renovate affordable housing as well as a guidebook to compare the different funding streams.

SARC Members may be interested in the National Housing Co-investment Fund or the Apartment Construction Loan Program. The Co-investment Fund offers up to 95% funding and focuses on housing that provides accessibility and social inclusion. The Apartment Loan Program offers low-cost loans to build new or upgrade existing apartments. Some SARC Members own small apartment buildings and funding for energy efficient upgrades is something to look into.  

CMHC also has a research and development stream that explores various housing models. One highlighted project, the UNITI-Chorus Housing Development Project, was a case study. A “Toolkit” was created to demonstrate to CBOs how to create “Agency Driven Housing Development” for people with intellectual disabilities.

Doug Tennant, CEO of UNITI, spoke at SARC’s Fall Conference in 2024. He spoke about the challenges and rewards of building a 71-unit inclusive apartment building where people from all walks of life, including those experiencing intellectual disability, live in one building where services are provided as needed.  It was a multi-year project with life-altering rewards. Perhaps there is an opportunity in Saskatchewan for a similar project?

In 2019, the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan signed a 10-year housing agreement. The cost-share agreement was made to invest more than $450 million into Saskatchewan’s commitment to the NHS to prioritize affordable housing.  Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) manages these funds and has similar programs that align with those of CMHC. SHC administers four programs to develop affordable housing. 

SHC also has a program where funding is available for the construction of secondary suites in the owner’s primary residence. Secondary suites are a good way of adding affordable housing options to an organization’s housing portfolio. Before any construction project is started, it is always a good idea to get written permission or a development permit from the town or city office. The local authority will approve (or not) the proposed development based on local by-laws and zoning restrictions. In Saskatchewan, some jurisdictions allow secondary suites in residential care homes, and some do not. Once the local authority approves the project in principle, then plans can proceed with professional drawings for a building permit application. Click here to view the NBC building code requirements for a secondary suite.

Partnerships are important when considering developing affordable housing options. SARC Members have great strengths as service providers. Partnering with local municipalities, construction companies, and/or other housing providers could be a natural fit, with service providers focusing on community support and other partners focusing on the housing management side.

The cities of Saskatoon and Regina have accepted funding from the NHS “Housing Accelerator Fund”. This funding is meant to speed up development of housing by relaxing zoning requirements to add more affordable housing units. Apart from partnerships with for-profit and not-for-profit housing providers, these cities have partnered with National Affordable Housing Corporation (NAHC).

NAHC provides affordable housing options throughout Saskatchewan. NHAC is part of a nonprofit network that helps people find affordable housing solutions. One of their affordable housing solutions is a “Supportive Independent Living Rental Program”. They have partnered with CBO service providers to provide person-centred supports to people participating in this program. Partnerships of this nature ensure the success of the program. This program may be like some SILP programs operated by SARC Members.

There are many programs and funding opportunities to increase housing possibilities. One theme that is consistent with these programs is the need for partnerships. It is difficult to build and maintain housing units, manage the rental process, and provide person-centred supports to renters as a single entity. Municipal approval and partnership with different developers and housing providers is beneficial and is required in some funding programs. Partnerships could include providing services to renters from an existing housing provider. Partnerships could increase in scale as well, like the UNITI example, where different organizations combined to build and manage an inclusive apartment building. With the right partners, there are many streams of funding that could increase the independent housing supply for people experiencing disability.