Many Edmontonians dream of owning their own home but don’t have the financial resources to make it happen. Young professionals, single parents and residents in middle income brackets can find it particularly tough to break into Edmonton’s housing market, which is one of the most expensive in Canada.
The City’s First Place Program teams with banks and builders to develop vacant surplus school building sites into attractive townhomes. The homes are market priced, with a five-year deferral on the land portion of the mortgage, making them more accessible to first time buyers.
A public design engagement process involving selected community volunteers helps to shape development in each neighbourhood. This forms the basis for the development permit approval process that follows.