By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on November 23, 2023.
https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews The province will provide $300,000 in grants to the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society toward major renovation projects at its housing inventory, Housing Minister Jason Nixon announced Wednesday among $16 million in similar funding across the province. Locally the money will be spent on building upgrades and replacing major building components, like shingles, hot water heaters and new siding, said Community Housing CAO Robin Miiller. “It’s an example of the province responding to a need,” she told the News, but added the capital maintenance outlook for the local entity for the next five years is estimated at $6 million worth of work. “So, $16 million for the entire province is probably not going to cut it,” she said. “But it is a step in the right direction.” Grants announced Wednesday include a total of $5.5 million for Edmonton housing groups, $4 million for several projects in Calgary and $6.5 million in the remainder of the province. That includes $300,000 for the Newell Housing Foundation, a total of $450,000 for two groups in Drumheller and $400,000 for the Lethbridge Housing Authority. The Medicine Hat Community Housing society previously received $5.2 million specific to its plan to build a new affordable housing apartment complex near Kipling Street in Medicine Hat. Those funds were announced last February, and Miiller said the initial phase of the project should see construction activity in the early spring. 9