Construction complete on Main Street Village

Black Diamond: Tenants move into new affordable housing complex July 1

A sudden rainy downpour wasn’t enough to wipe the smiles off the faces of soon-to-be tenants of Black Diamond’s new Main Street Village affordable housing complex during the outdoor open house event on June 24.

“It feels terrific,” said Charlotte Judd, one of about 30 people in attendance who will be getting the keys to their new apartments July 1. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

All that remains to be completed are some finishing touches and landscaping at the $5-million 28-suite apartment complex. Located at 300-301 1st Ave. S.E., the apartments will all be rented at about 10 per cent less than market value, allowing low-income families and individuals an affordable housing option in Black Diamond.

A two-bedroom apartment, for example, rents for $735 including water and heat, eligible for occupation by renters with an income of less than $31,500.

Judd, a single mother of two who has been struggling to make ends meet, described the opening of the affordable housing complex as a “lifesaver.”

Although she does have a business, Judd has difficulty maintaining a steady income due to health issues affecting both herself and her daughter.

Judd suffers from several debilitating health problems herself, including fibromyalgia, slipped disks in her spine, as well as a rare inflammatory disease that affects her muscles, heart and lungs.

“I take a great deal of medications everyday just to barely function,” she said. “I still have my business, but it’s not enough to keep me afloat in my home.”

Judd is also the sole caretaker of her two daughters, the eldest of whom, at 15, has autism and suffers from a brain injury.

The maintenance required for her current home, from snow removal to cutting the lawn, is also too much to handle everyday with her health problems, she said.

“Cutting grass is extremely difficult for me,” she said. “It’s a simple task for most people, but not for me.”

Her lower-rent apartment at Main Street Village means Judd can spend more time with her children, rather than working overtime in two jobs just to pay her mortgage.

“I can sleep at night finally,” she said.

John Kirkpatrick, a longtime resident of Black Diamond, said he is looking forward to being able to move into his wheelchair-accessible apartment.

“I have trouble with stairs so it’s kind of nice that I’ll be able to walk right in,” he said.

Currently living in a Black Diamond motel, his rent there is only $30 less than what he will be paying at the affordable housing complex. However, his new apartment is significantly larger with a full kitchen and appliances, and is tailored to disabled renters.

“This is a palace,” said Kirkpatrick with a smile. “I’m getting pretty anxious to move in.”

Retired due to medical reasons from his former job as a fiberglass bathtub and shower builder, Kirkpatrick said the affordable housing complex will allow him to better his lifestyle.

“In the motel, you’ve got drunks on one side, and it’s not really home,” he said. “This is a place where it is nice to spend time. It’s a place to call home.”

Kirkpatrick believes there is a strong need for more affordable housing in the community.

“They should have done this years ago,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who are disabled, and they’ve got nowhere they can really go.”

Dave Brown, property manager and one of the owners of Main Street Village, said the affordable housing complex brings many benefits to the Black Diamond community, from creating job opportunities in the construction phase to a tax base that will benefit the Town.

“This is also a huge benefit to the people who may have been living in sub-standard housing, or young families who can’t afford higher rents,” he said. “We see this mix of people making a nice little village, and that was our intent from the start.”

Brown said there is enough property adjacent to Main Street Village to build another apartment complex in the future, although they are unsure whether it would be another affordable housing complex, or a market-rent complex or condominiums.

Another affordable housing complex would depend on support from the federal and provincial government, which each provided one third of the grant to build Main Street Village. The developers covered the remaining third of the cost of construction.

“We do see a real need for affordable housing,” said Brown. “If we can partner with the government again, obviously they are the ones who make the decision in the end.”

Although he is glad to see construction on the affordable housing complex complete, Mike Ross, deputy mayor and town councillor, agreed more affordable housing is needed in the southern foothills.

“So many people that live around here work in the service industry, which is minimum wage,” he said. “With average rent costs on the street and the costs of utilities and everything, they just can’t afford to have a place of their own.”

Ross said the affordable housing complex allows tenants a chance to save as much of their income as possible to get back on their feet and move on to bigger opportunities.

tfletcher@okotoks.greatwest.ca