WHMB application for provincial funding denied

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The new seniors lodge project set to be developed in Strathmore will be subject to delay as the Wheatland Housing Management Board (WHMB) was unsuccessful again in their application for provincial funding. 

Board Chair Glenn Koester explained though the board was disappointed, ultimately there were over 100 applications submitted to the province for a finite number of resources which had been made available for housing projects this period. 

“When we got the letter from the Alberta Government, they said that we can contact them and they will go over our application and how we can change it up,” he said. “We will take them up on that; that will be their call when we can meet with them … there were just more applications than they have money (for), but I think we have a good application.”

He explained the WHMB will seek support again from the province in the fall when the next round of funding becomes available for application. 

In the meantime, the board will seek support from other sources and continue to accumulate funding towards the tender of the project. 

As election season approaches, Koester added there is a possibility the WHMB will see a shift in members once the new Wheatland County council is determined. 

“We will have to get everybody up to speed. It is going to take time – it always takes time. You just have to sit down and discuss it and go through everything we have done,” said Koester. 

“(Additional fundraising) will be up to the new board to discuss. That will be something we will bring up next November if we want to try and sweeten the pot for the province, make it more tempting for … it to be our turn to get the grant money.”

The project being proposed to the province is a 120-bed congregate living space, which is to include six dedicated hospice areas. The last two applications for funding from the province presented the project with a Class B Budget. 

Previous ambitions for the application aimed to see it reach a Class A Budget, which has a greater likelihood of being approved by the province. Koester added this is something that has previously been out of reach due to the costs associated with being able to achieve it. 

“A Class A is ready to go to tender, and it costs us a couple million dollars to get that. We are just kind of waiting. It takes two months to get it, and in that time, it takes us that long to get a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) loan,” he said. “CMHC said we can work in tandem. It is much the same information (as the province) that they want, and they need it over two months, so we can do it together. Then, when the two months is over, we get the loan secured, then we are off.”