Meridian Housing Foundation secures new provincial funding

SPRUCE GROVE -- The Meridian Housing Foundation will be constructing 56 new affordable homes in Spruce Grove. 

This comes after the organization secured $4.76 million from the Affordable Housing Partnership Program, a joint initiative by the Governments of Canada and Alberta to build affordable homes across the province. Executive Director Lori-Anne Arsenault says the homes will be built as part of a new apartment complex in the Spruce Ridge area. 

"It will be one complex with 56-units and underground parking, a very attractive building and a home of choice for low to moderate income people," said Arsenault. "This will be a combination of studio, one, two, and three bedroom options, providing a home for anyone -- individuals, families, couples -- anyone struggling to make ends meet." 

The Meridian Housing Foundation, which serves Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and Parkland County, was created in 1960 with an original focus on seniors' housing and has since evolved to encompass subsidized housing, affordable independent living, and various other housing models. The foundation has been the driver behind a number of notable past and present projects in the region.

"One that has been completed, that is quite notable, is the Folkstone Manor project in the Town of Stony Plain, which is a 63-unit affordable housing," said Arsenault. "Another one that's looking to be very successful is the Horizon View Lodge in the City of Spruce Grove, which is 102-units and is under construction right now. We're looking to house people in November of this year." 

The foundation works strictly off wait-lists, and in 2025, they saw only seven moveouts. As a whole, the demand for affordable housing across the tri-region has continued to rise year-over-year as the local population continues to increase.

"The demand has risen substantially," said Arsenault. "We feel the pressures of housing in our communities through the high volume of phone calls we get on a daily basis. The need is very great in our region." 

She notes that they're still working to address a slight funding gap before the new project is able to break ground.