Low-income tenants fight sale of affordable Edmonton townhouses

CBC

2 days ago

Tenants who live in affordable housing townhouses in a neighbourhood near downtown Edmonton are fighting the sale of their homes by their non-profit provider HomeEd.
HomeEd, which is owned by the City of Edmonton, listed the 20 Riverdale Place townhouses for sale in the spring.
The two- and three-bedroom townhouses are located in three separate blocks in what the listing describes as the "historic and highly sought-after neighbourhood" of Riverdale.
The listing calls the properties an "investment sale opportunity" that can be purchased individually or collectively. No price is listed.
Townhouse residents said they were shocked when a neighbour told them about the listing last month.
"I actually was kind of woozy," resident Blair Barton said. "I felt like I was going to pass out because it was such big, such big news."
His neighbour Ashley Ciesla got the news at the same time.
"I definitely felt panic. I felt insecurity," Ciesla said. "It felt like everything that I've been working for the last six years just came crumbling down on me."
The residents are speaking out about the issue, meeting with elected officials and the provider HomeEd, and working with the community league, in hopes that they can stay in their homes.
'Five leaps forward'
Edmonton city councillors gave HomeEd permission to list the properties for sale during an in-camera meeting in April.
In an interview with CBC News, HomeEd's CEO Nick Lilley said it could cost too much to update the 20 townhouses, as they are nearly 50 years old and approaching the end of their lifespan.
Lilley said proceeds from a sale will be used to build newer affordable units that can house more people.
"While that may feel a bit like a step backwards, that type of approach is also one where we can potentially take four or five major leaps forward when it comes to advancing affordable housing in this city," he said.
The Riverdale properties have been listed without a selling price. Lilley said HomeEd wants to send a signal that they are open to reviewing offers from both non-profit and for-profit organizations.
If a sale forces the Riverdale tenants to move, Lilley said HomeEd will tell them what options exist for other affordable rental units, but noted the properties are "first come, first served."
"The prioritization within our team would be to ensure that they are aware of any opportunities that are available and supporting them through that process as best as we can," he said.
Putting down roots
Barton has lived in his unit since 2017. The former Canadian Forces member receives disability benefits from both the provincial and federal governments.
Ciesla receives benefits under the Alberta Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program due to multiple disabilities that resulted from severe nerve damage in her body.
She lives with her six-year-old son in their townhouse. The child's father died five months before he was born.
Ciesla said she put down roots in Riverdale after moving to the community last year. She works for the school lunch program and volunteers in the community.
The townhouse move came after years of instability. Now, she worries about the future.
"I would love to continue to help the neighbourhood and be a part of it," Ciesla said.
Riverdale is seen as a desirable neighbourhood due to its central location and access to the river valley.
Barton, who sits on the board of the Riverdale community league, worries he will have to leave a community that provides him with peace and a sense of belonging.
"I often say Riverdale is the island in the stream of chaos that's Edmonton," Barton said. "Soon as you walk down those stairs, you feel this decompression."
The community league plans to discuss the issue to its next meeting in early September.
Anne Stevenson, the Edmonton city councillor for Ward O-day'min, which includes Riverdale, did not support HomeEd's request to put the properties on the open market.
"I think it's the wrong direction not only for the individuals living in this development, but also for the city as a whole," she said.
The city's goal is for each neighbourhood to have 16 per cent affordable housing units. Stevenson said Riverdale sits at six per cent right now.
"Losing existing non-market housing in the neighbourhood doesn't make sense in terms of our overall strategies."
Possible non-profit interest
Stevenson worked in the affordable housing sector before becoming a city councillor four years ago. She said rehousing tenants was a basic obligation if they had to be moved due to renovations or removal of a unit.
Stevenson has heard that two non-profit organizations are interested in putting in an offer for the townhouses. She said a purchase that maintains affordable housing on the property is the best-case scenario.
The issue has also gotten the attention of Janis Irwin, MLA for the area, and the NDP Opposition critic for housing.
Irwin worries about a worst-case scenario where the land is purchased by a private developer who then demolishes the townhouses to make room for large expensive homes.
"I think it does raise a lot of questions at a time when affordable housing is at a premium in our city," Irwin said.
"We all need to be doing all we can to ensure that there are more affordable housing units. And most definitely, the affordable housing units that exist stay and stay as long as they're needed."
The Riverdale tenants said they will keep up the fight to ensure they can keep their homes. They don't want to be forced out of an area where they feel a part of the community.
Ashley Ciesla said her quality of life improved when she moved to Riverdale.