Monthly Bulletin
October 2017
ACTIVE INITIATIVES
This is Home Phase 3
CAO has submitted proposals to the Government of Alberta for the next phase. It is an idea that we have asked Alberta Seniors and Housing to consider for both approval and seed funding; without which we can not establish timing. In the meantime, we are proceeding with Master Site Planning for the entire Bow River Lodge site.
Housing Needs Study
Our study is in its data collection phase. The project schedule anticipates completion early next year, subject to the availability of key census data.
RATES OF OCCUPANCY
Bow River Lodge 96% occupancy
Cascade House 95% occupancy
Bow River Homes 100% occupancy
Mount Edith House 97% occupancy
Community Housing 97% occupancy
Rent Supplement 100% subscription
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Temporary Flood relief housing
BVRH is winding down its assistance to the Government of Alberta with their efforts to house local victims of the southern flooding. The last household has relocated, and the trailers will are scheduled for removal shortly.
Bow River Lodge Redevelopment “This is Home”
Schedule:
Phase 1: Minor deficiency work continues; if all goes as well as possible the schedule indicates:
o Handover from the Contractor to Alberta Seniors and Housing in Q4 2017.
o Handover from Alberta Seniors and Housing to BVRH shortly afterwards.
o Commissioning period of 6 to 8 weeks.
o We will not be moving residents in until mid-to-late November at the very earliest. Unfortunately, we can’t yet know when the move will happen.
Phase 2: Substantial planning is expected to commence shortly. Construction on this phase cannot start until Phase 1 is fully operational.
Design:
Phase 1: The design includes 63 new residential lodge units, replacing 58 aging units and giving us 5 more, maximising the available space in anticipation of the looming needs of our ageing population in the region. This design means that all
of our seniors will be housed in safe, new and fully functional spaces ensuring
more effective and efficient accommodation along with much-improved ability to
increase care services in the future. The area currently taken up by the old parts
of the original lodge will be used to bring higher levels of supportive living to the
region for true ageing in place in Phase 2.
Phase 2: This facility will be designed to meet the needs of designated supportive
living level 4 and dementia operations, including enhanced safety and careprovision
considerations. Alberta Health Services (AHS) has provided design
guidelines that the facility must consider to secure a Designated Supportive
Living (DSL) agreement, which is the goal to meet the current and future needs of
the people of the region. Next steps include Project Approvals, Project
Coordination, and negotiation of an Agreement with AHS. A Request for
Proposals (RFP) for architectural services has been developed for release once all
required approvals are in place.
Economics:
Phase 1: Alberta Seniors’ Housing has paid 100% of the capital project costs.
BVRH will furnish, equip and maintain the facility at the cost of approximately
$200,000. The current total project cost estimate is $13.2 million.
Phase 2: The current capital cost estimates range from $16million to $19 million;
the Government of Alberta has committed $16 million to date. BVRH is
responsible for the furniture and equipment for the facility, which we will fund
through a combination of fundraising and financing, including municipal
requisition. We expect this development will improve our operating model to the
point that we can achieve much greater economies of scale, thereby significantly
reducing the need to requisition for operating costs at Bow River Lodge in the
future.
ABOUT BOW VALLEY REGIONAL HOUSING
Bow Valley Regional Housing (BVRH) is a Housing Management Body (HMB) serving
the Government of Alberta and the Bow Valley Region. The Provincial Government
created HMBs to serve as operators and administrators of provincially owned social
housing facilities. The Province owns a large portfolio of these facilities through the
Alberta Social Housing Corporation (ASHC), serving many needy and vulnerable
Albertans. Each HMB is self-governing under the Alberta Housing Act, managing the
ASHC assets in a particular region. Each region is composed of multiple municipalities,
improvement districts, etc. HMBs may operate other kinds of housing and may own
buildings that house accommodation programs.
Every municipality in Alberta is a contributing member of their regional HMB. They are
required to have at least one appointee on the governing board, which is responsible for
acting in the best interests of the HMB. The board must consider the needs of each
contributing municipality in its governance of the HMB.
HMB operational funding sources vary. Tenants pay accommodation fees. Those fees are
subject to affordability limits, which prevents them from fully covering the costs of
operations. Provincial grants and municipal ratepayer requisitions subsidize seniors lodge
deficits, while the Province also subsidizes deficits in independent seniors and
community housing.
As the HMB for the Bow Valley region, BVRH is responsible for social housing, as well
as affordable supportive living accommodation for seniors throughout Kananaskis
Country, the Bow Corridor, the MD of Bighorn and all of Banff National Park, an area
covering about 13,500 square kilometres. This region has two towns and seven hamlets
containing about 25,000 people. Our five contributing municipalities are Kananaskis ID,
MD of Bighorn, Town of Canmore, Town of Banff and Banff National Park ID9. The
people of the region are able to access all of the programs we offer, subject to eligibility
requirements.
The BVRH Mission Statement
Bow Valley Regional Housing commits to provide accommodation services for the Bow
Valley region seniors and residents of modest means who struggle to secure and maintain
appropriate housing.
We manage:
seniors’ lodges in Canmore and Banff that currently house up to 85 residents
an expansion project underway at our lodge in Canmore will increase capacity
and greatly improve the standard of living for the residents of the lodge
a second phase of the expansion project that will introduce designated supportive
living to the region by way of approximately 60 beds that will provide appropriate
accommodations to our vulnerable seniors while alleviating pressures in local
hospitals
seniors’ independent housing buildings in Canmore and Banff that include 62
one-bedroom apartments
58 family housing residences in Canmore
Interim relief housing for one household displaced by the June 2013 flooding
The Rent Supplement Program in the region that currently provides financial
assistance to approximately 40 Bow Valley households
We are building!
Construction is nearing completion on a new lodge addition in Canmore with 63
residential units, new kitchen facilities, and more
Planning is underway for a high-level care facility in Canmore with 60 care units
and all required amenity spaces
Visioning is underway for the conversion of a 15-unit wing from lodge
accommodation to seniors’ self-contained housing for low-income independent
seniors.
Visioning is underway for the re-profiling of a part of the Bow River Lodge site
to increase the number of senior’s self-contained units while adding other
affordable housing options.
All told, we currently house, or help to house approximately 425 residents of the Bow
Valley in eight permanent and one interim housing projects encompassing 36 separate
buildings between three separate communities.
We are a self-governing body. We collaborate with two provincial ministries and five
municipal governments, along with numerous local and community agencies to provide
and promote safe and appropriate housing to our region.
The BVRH Vision Statement
Bow Valley Regional Housing aspires to collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure that
suitable programming that will mitigate the housing needs of our client base is available.
We will:
Make decisions and recommendations using relevant and valid data regarding
community trends and housing needs.
Obtain funding to develop infrastructure that meets identified needs for social and
senior’s affordable housing programs.
Embrace operating principles that incorporate innovation, service excellence and best
practices.
Attract and retain highly qualified and caring staff.
BVRH has approximately 39 employees based in either Bow River Lodge (Canmore) or
Cascade House (Banff). Our Administration and Maintenance Teams are based in
Canmore but serve all of our operations. We have Housekeeping and Food Service
Teams in both of our lodges.
BVRH Values
Service: client-focus; empathy; caring; commitment to quality and; a guiding philosophy
of serving our clients in their homes.
Integrity and Accountability: high ethics; professionalism; transparency; accountability
and; inclusiveness.
Efficacy: sustainability; innovation; versatility; collaboration; communication; vision
and; resourcefulness.
Information is available on our website at www.bvrh.ca
