Case Study: Building greener Indigenous housing
Creating affordable and energy-efficient homes in Courtenay, BC
SUSTAINABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The Wachiay Friendship Centre has been providing vital services for Indigenous residents of British Columbia’s Comox Valley since 1995.
While its programs and services have grown exponentially over the years, affordable housing has remained a long-standing issue in the small city of 30,000 – particularly for seniors.
“The majority of people accessing emergency shelter here are seniors over the age of 70,” explains Roger Kishi, Coordinator for Wachiay’s Homeless and Housing Programs. “That’s how we decided we wanted to develop a housing project serving Indigenous elders.
Approach
A long time goal of Wachiay has been to provide affordable housing for Indigenous people in their community. Wachiay first had to secure rezoning permits for converting an existing parking lot into a five-storey apartment building. Next came the challenge of securing appropriate funding. The Friendship Centre sought the expertise of M’akola Development Services in 2020.
Wachiay obtained seed funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and pre-development funding from BC Housing to begin the project, along with regional affordable housing funds. BC Housing requires all new builds to incorporate high standards of energy efficiency.
FCM’s Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative, delivered through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) and funded by the Government of Canada, has therefore proven to be an ideal support for Wachiay’s planning process. SAH offers assistance in all stages of affordable housing development. SAH’s Regional Energy Coaches (RECs) provide affordable housing providers with free services ranging from project management and technical support, to walk-through energy assessments and one-on-one coaching.
“It’s important to address climate change issues, and one of the significant returns on investment for an energy-efficient build is greater affordability for tenants.”
- Roger Kishi, Coordinator – Homeless & Housing Programs, Wachiay Friendship Centre
Environmental measures
Wachiay Friendship Centre’s energy modelling, architectural, building envelope, and mechanical consultants have been working collaboratively to reach the project’s sustainability goals. The design of all building systems has not been finalized, but the following measures are among those currently being planned to meet project targets:
- High-performance roofing, windows, slab on grade, and wood-framed exterior walls
- An airtight building enclosure
- Reduced lighting power density in all suites and common areas
- Low-flow fixtures
Next steps
Wachiay hopes to break ground on their project in early 2023, with construction wrapping up in fall of 2024. The apartment complex will add 40 units of sustainable affordable housing to Courtenay’s landscape, including both studio and one-bedroom apartments for low-income Indigenous seniors and adults.
Lessons learned
Advocacy is critical to success.
When Roger began speaking to local officials, he quickly realized that most did not understand the funding burden incurred by private non-profits wanting to develop new affordable housing. “People thought that since we had been selected to proceed with BC Housing, our project was fully funded,” he says. “But that's not the case… We’re going to have a larger mortgage, and we need to think about what financial sustainability looks like.” Raising awareness of true development costs amongst City council members helped Wachiay secure additional project dollars from the region’s affordable housing fund.
The importance of outside expertise.
“Being a housing provider, and being a housing developer, are two different skill sets,” says Roger. “So, you want to focus on building a strong team: looping in development consultants, engineers, and architects amongst other professions for support.” Wachiay Friendship Centre is working closely with M’akola to bring their vision of sustainable, affordable housing for Courtenay’s Indigenous communities to life. The organization has also benefited from the support of FCM’s SAH initiative. https://greenmunicipalfund.ca/sustainable-affordable-housing
Energy efficiency yields many co-benefits.
Building greener housing not only plays a role in slowing the impacts of climate change, but also provides cost savings for tenants and improves their quality of life. While the initial upfront investment in energy efficiency may have higher costs at the development stage, it will ultimately lead to lower utility bills for those struggling to afford the cost of living. Green builds solve environmental challenges economically, while also meeting your community’s critical housing needs.
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
Related Resources
See All
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Aspen Heights: Redefining affordable housing in Saskatoon
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Heartland Housing Foundation: Building a sustainable future in Fort Saskatchewan
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Building a better future: CABN’s net-zero affordable housing pilot
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Pine Tree Park: Transforming affordable housing with energy efficiency and solar power
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Rossland Yards: Transforming affordable housing in Rossland, BC
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Transforming communities with Sustainable Affordable Housing: Article series
In a series of six articles, we highlight impactful projects funded by GMF's Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative, demonstrating how energy-efficient, community-centered housing can foster resilience and well-being.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
YWCA Banff: Building stability and community through affordable housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Regional Energy Coach list
Get in touch with a Regional Energy Coach in your region and start your energy efficiency journey
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Accelerate your community’s net-zero transformation with new GMF funding
Watch our webinar to discover how GMF’s new funding can help you upgrade infrastructure and reduce local GHG emissions.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Webinar recording: The real impact of home-energy efficiency financing
Watch our webinar to discover how you can achieve your climate goals by implementing a home-energy efficiency financing program in your community
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Webinar recording: Transform your approach to energy efficiency with the Housing Providers’ Toolkit
Watch the discussion on how to take advantage of the Housing Providers’ Toolkit.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Project cash flow calculator
Our energy project calculator is designed to aid housing providers in quantifying the associated costs of sustainable, affordable housing projects. Use the calculator to understand the viability of a potential project and make informed decisions.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Funders list for sustainable affordable housing
Access additional funding sources from across Canada to support your next affordable housing project.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Toolkit: Navigating energy efficient affordable housing projects
Discover a toolkit designed for affordable housing providers aiming to prioritize energy efficiency. This toolkit offers insights into the benefits of energy-efficient housing, addresses unique challenges, and provides practical tools to identify solutions.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: How to start reducing GHG emissions in community buildings
Watch the discussion on how to create a GHG reduction pathway for community buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to get a project started, tips for small francophone communities
If you’re a small francophone municipality looking to develop sustainability projects and access funding, watch this webinar to learn how others overcame common challenges.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community Efficiency Financing market guide
Guide to help Canadian municipalities assess potential home energy upgrade programs
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Affordable housing providers’ impact on energy poverty
The webinar will feature a housing project helping moderate income households while achieving high environmental standards.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Understanding energy efficiency: A guide for affordable housing providers
This guide is for affordable housing providers, such as municipalities or housing cooperatives, interested in improving energy efficiency in their buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Resource library: Community Buildings Retrofit
Find practical case studies and guidance for planning your local community building retrofit.
Community efficiency financing
Energy | Housing
Video: Nelson scales up local program to support home-energy upgrades
In this video, Carmen Proctor, Climate & Energy Manager at the City of Nelson, tells the story of the program’s success to date, shares key lessons learned from running the program, and highlights their next steps to scale up the program.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Asset management and energy conservation
Learn how the non-profit housing sector can integrate energy management into asset management to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Resources: Community Efficiency Financing
Read guidebooks and case studies to see how municipalities are designing home upgrade financing programs.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Video: 5 keys for sustainable social housing success
Gordon Szaszi, Project Manager Housing Development, shares Niagara Regional Housing (NRH) experience creating the business case for a 67-unit affordable housing development for seniors.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Video: 5 keys for sustainable social housing success
This video walks through the key sections of a successful business case: Needs Assessment, Organizational Readiness, Project Vision and Financials.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Resources: Sustainable Affordable Housing
Learn how to retrofit existing housing for energy-efficiency and plan new builds for higher performance.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Take your project from study to capital
Watch this webinar recording and discover how others have successfully converted studies into a capital project that provides social, economic and environmental benefits.
Energy
Webinar recording: The 5 keys to a green municipal project business case
Watch this webinar recording and discover the five critical focus areas you need to address to get your project started, from financing and partnerships to integrating a triple-bottom-line approach.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Video: 1,500 Toronto residents benefit from retrofit initiative
Bryan Purcell, of The Atmospheric Fund, tells the story of how an initiative to perform energy efficiency retrofits of 7 community housing buildings in Toronto achieved so much more.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Regional Energy Coaches
Regional Energy Coaches help affordable housing providers plan energy efficiency retrofits and new builds.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Making affordable housing sustainable
Watch this webinar recording to learn about the various forms of grant, loan and capacity building support we offer to help you retrofit existing units or build new ones.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Factsheets: Municipal Energy Roadmap
These factsheets offer specific guidance around building-level solutions, community-level solutions, and long-term strategies to help you drill down and meet your objectives.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Factsheets: Sustainable Affordable Housing
Learn how to retrofit existing housing for energy-efficiency and plan new builds for higher performance.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Apply for GMF’s Sustainable Affordable Housing funding
Watch this joint webinar hosted by the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA to learn how to apply for FCM’s newest funding initiative – Sustainable Affordable Housing.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recordings: Best practices in municipal sustainability
How are cities and communities of all sizes tackling their environmental challenges? Find out from our five-part webinar series on innovations and opportunities in municipal energy, waste, water, transportation and land use initiatives.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to prepare a GMF capital project application
Need advice for preparing your GMF capital project funding application? Watch our webinar recording to hear tips from our staff and find out what reviewers are looking for.
Related Projects
See All
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing
Innovating for maximum impact: New affordable housing complex adds 83 net-zero units using shipping container model in Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing