Ontario Construction News staff writer
Work has commenced on a major housing redevelopment project in northwest Edmonton that will replace aging townhomes with hundreds of new units, including affordable housing.
The Brentwood Builds project, launched Wednesday, is a joint initiative involving the City of Edmonton, the Government of Alberta and the federal government. Over the course of eight phases, the redevelopment will replace more than 200 aging townhouse units in the Brentwood Homes community with up to 700 new homes, about one-third of which will be designated as affordable housing.
“We’re laying the foundation for the future of Brentwood,” said Rob Appleyard, executive director of the Brentwood Community Development Group. “This redevelopment project will ultimately create three times the housing currently available and provide homes for people at all stages of life.“
The first phase includes a 69-unit apartment building, 28 of which will be affordable homes. The project has received $2.3 million in grant funding from the city’s Affordable Housing Investment Program. An additional $4 million has been allocated through the Infill Infrastructure Fund — a municipal program supported by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund — to support upgrades to shared public infrastructure.
“Our new government is proud to partner with the City of Edmonton to get more homes built,” said Eleanor Olszewski, federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience. “We’re acting now to build more homes, faster — and to make housing more affordable for Canadians.”
The Alberta government is contributing $6.7 million through its Affordable Housing Partnership Program. That funding is eligible for federal cost-matching under the Canada–Alberta Bilateral Agreement through the National Housing Strategy.
“Alberta’s government is proud to support the Brentwood development in Edmonton,” said Jason Nixon, provincial Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services. “This investment will help Albertans have access to affordable, reliable housing — because everyone deserves the chance to build a better future, starting with a safe place to call home.”
Located in the family-friendly Woodcroft neighbourhood, the Brentwood redevelopment is close to schools, transit and amenities such as a public library, a shopping centre and the Telus World of Science. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the project reflects the city’s broader strategy to grow sustainably by building new housing in established areas.
“No matter where they live, all Edmontonians benefit when older neighbourhoods get new housing,” Sohi said. “That’s how we build a more sustainable city — by leveraging existing infrastructure investments such as roads, libraries, recreation centres and mass transit.”
Between 2021 and 2024, Edmonton’s population grew by about 140,000 people — nearly twice the size of Grande Prairie. Since 2019, the city has used $231 million in municipal funding to attract more than $1 billion from other orders of government and partners, resulting in the creation or renewal of 5,602 affordable housing units, including 916 units of supportive housing. To qualify for municipal funding, units must rent at 80 per cent or less of average market rates.to all neighbourhoods.”