Saskatoon city council approves $15M in incentives for 256 affordable housing units

Saskatoon city council approved about $15 million in incentives Wednesday for three affordable housing projects with a combined 256 units.

Using money from the federal government's housing accelerator fund — which is meant to increase housing across the country — the city offered incentives of $50,000 per unit and five years of incremental tax abatements.

The largest of the three approved builds is by the Camponi Housing Corporation, a Métis housing organization, and features 120 units to go up on a portion of 1635 McKercher Drive, adjacent to the Lakewood Civic Centre.

Saskatoon Open Door Society (SODS) is building a 112-unit project on the corner of 23rd Street East and Third Avenue North downtown, where a gravel parking lot currently sits.

A for-profit, 24-unit build by a private business, whose application lists a numbered corporation, was also approved for the corner of Broadway Avenue and Ruth Street East.

Mayor Cynthia Block praised the two non-profits, which promise wraparound supports and amenities at their projects.

"We know how desperately needed this is and we are continuing to learn every day about how housing is foundational to solving the homeless problem that we have," Block said.

"I am impressed by the types of housing that both Camponi and Open Door are proposing to build."

SODS plans to integrate a grocery store into its affordable housing complex, along with other services like settlement and integration.

Camponi, which has a waiting list of more than 800 families searching for affordable housing, says it will have a community garden, daycare and confectionery.

SODS fund development and communications manager Ahmad Majid told council the organization plans to have shovels in the ground by August 2026.

Ward 3 Coun. Robert Pearce brought up social media posts he said showed concern about the Camponi project, but the organization's chair of trustees, Angela Bishop, assured him residents would be good neighbours and that anyone with concerns or ideas could reach out to the organization.

Mayor Block also weighed in, stating she understands concerns over government subsidized housing, but that people shouldn't worry.

"I think that what folks probably don't know is that there's affordable housing throughout the city," she said.

"To my knowledge, there's just good neighbours and I anticipate that that will continue. In fact, I think it will flourish under the types of programming that both the Open Door Society and Camponi are choosing to build."