Aspen Heights: Redefining affordable housing in Saskatoon
SUSTAINABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
New construction of sustainable affordable housing
Case Study
This article is part of a series called Transforming communities with Sustainable Affordable Housing. The series demonstrates how energy-efficient, community-centered housing can foster resilience and well-being. Discover practical solutions for affordable, climate-friendly homes that improve lives and build a sustainable future.
In Saskatoon, SK, the National Affordable Housing Corporation (NAHC) has set a new standard with Aspen Heights, a 56-unit townhouse development that combines energy efficiency with affordability. Completed in 2024, Aspen Heights is a mixed affordable-market development that provides a fresh approach to affordable housing, where comfort, sustainability, and community truly come together. As Stacie Beever, Chief Operating Officer of NAHC, reflects, “There are so many successes worth noting and celebrating at Aspen Heights—including the achievements of our team and our high-needs tenants.”
A place to call home
Aspen Heights offers two- and three-bedroom townhomes, with 30 percent reserved for low-income households, including families and individuals with mental health and developmental needs. These homes are built with energy-saving features like extra-thick walls, insulated concrete foundations for better warmth, high-quality insulation, heat pumps that have natural gas backups, and triple-pane windows. Together, these features help keep utility costs low for residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Access to quality homes like those at Aspen Heights truly changes lives,” Beever notes, “for those who may not otherwise have the means to live in new areas and communities like this.”
These sustainable features don’t just help the environment—they also keep costs predictable for tenants, helping them build stable lives and plan for the future.
Building connections and supporting residents
Aspen Heights is more than just a collection of homes; it’s a place where people connect and feel supported. Post-occupancy surveys reveal that two-thirds of affordable rental residents feel a stronger sense of community here. Many have reported an increased sense of safety and security—demonstrating NAHC’s commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment.
“The transformations we’ve witnessed through quality housing and our tenants' newfound stability,” says Beever, “are a testament to our team’s commitment to doing what’s right for communities in Saskatchewan.”
Rising to the challenge with innovation
Building a net-zero ready development in the harsh prairie climate has given NAHC opportunities to innovate and adapt. During the first two years at Aspen Heights, the air source heat pumps needed extra support, especially on Saskatoon’s coldest days. Rising to the challenge, NAHC brought in specialized HVAC experts to fine-tune the system, optimizing heating to keep residents comfortable year-round. The insights gained from Aspen Heights have already shaped NAHC’s approach to future projects. They recently completed Willow Grande, a 60-unit development with centralized commercial air source heat pumps powered by solar panels, and they are well underway on a second project, Aspen North, which further builds on the lessons learned from Aspen Heights and Willow Grande. These advancements—made possible through the learnings and support from GMF-backed projects like Aspen Heights and Plainsview Townhomes—have paved the way for more resilient, sustainable housing models across Saskatchewan.
A lasting model for sustainable living
Aspen Heights has sparked economic activity in Saskatoon by creating jobs during construction and supporting ongoing employment in property management and tenant support. Staff roles, such as the Director of Tenant Inclusion & Support, ensure that residents feel at home and secure year-round.
“The commitment to quality housing at Aspen Heights changes lives, allowing individuals and families to build brighter futures in homes they’re proud to call their own."
Related Resources
See All
Case Study
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Heartland Housing Foundation: Building a sustainable future in Fort Saskatchewan
Case Study
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Building a better future: CABN’s net-zero affordable housing pilot
Case Study
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Pine Tree Park: Transforming affordable housing with energy efficiency and solar power
Case Study
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Rossland Yards: Transforming affordable housing in Rossland, BC
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
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.
Case Study
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
YWCA Banff: Building stability and community through affordable housing
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Guide: Equity and non-energy benefits of community building retrofits
Explore the equity and other non-energy benefits of retrofitting community buildings.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | 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
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
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.
Webinar recording
Community efficiency financing
Energy
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
Webinar recording
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
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.
Guide
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Guide: Taking your indoor swimming pool to net zero
A guide with key measures and lessons learned to help you build a plan for net-zero indoor swimming pools.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
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.
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing
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.
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Factsheets: Community Buildings Retrofit initiative
Learn how to retrofit existing community buildings to lower GHG emissions and extend their life cycle.
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar Recording: Enhance comfort and energy savings with municipal building envelopes
Watch this webinar to explore strategies for optimizing municipal building envelopes, enhancing both comfort and energy efficiency.
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Energy efficiency for reaching net zero
Learn how municipalities can advance energy efficiency initiatives to reach net-zero targets.
Webinar recording
Energy
Energy
Webinar recording: Planning for net-zero emissions
Municipal leaders and experts discuss strategies for achieving net-zero emissions targets and scaling up climate action efforts at the local level.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Durham Region, ON launches novel financing model
A video showcasing innovative and accessible financing options for home-energy upgrades.
Video
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Video: Retrofitting community buildings for maximum GHG reduction impact
A short video explaining the pathway approach of retrofitting a building - using an outcomes-oriented approach - to achieve (near) net zero carbon buildings over time.
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Community Buildings Retrofit Advisory Service
The CBR Advisory Service is a new service that is intended to help smaller municipalities by matching them to industry leaders who understand best practices in the CBR field and can help provide personalized coaching and advice, including clarified goals, insights, and replicable results.
Guide
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community Efficiency Financing market guide
Guide to help Canadian municipalities assess potential home energy upgrade programs
Webinar recording
Local energy generation
Energy
Local energy generation
Energy
Webinar recording: An introduction to district energy
Learn how a centralized heating and cooling system can help your municipality reduce GHG emissions and save money.
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Supporting small and medium municipalities through the Community Buildings Retrofit initiative
Watch this webinar recording to learn about successful examples of completed retrofits, how municipalities can choose the right funding options and to answer any questions about the funding process.
Webinar recording
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Guide
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Guide: Taking your indoor ice rink to net zero
A practical guide to get you started on your own net zero retrofit plan and to help you develop an actionable roadmap to net zero ice rinks.
Guide
Municipal fleet electrification
Transportation
Municipal fleet electrification
Transportation
Priority Municipal Actions to Enable Zero Emission Vehicle Adoption
GMF and Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) collaborated to create six priority municipal actions to accelerate zero emission vehicle adoption.
Guide
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
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.
Webinar recording
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar: Transitioning ice rinks to net-zero
Learn the basics of building retrofits for facility buildings
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Resource library: Community Buildings Retrofit
Find practical case studies and guidance for planning your local community building retrofit.
Webinar recording
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Webinar recording: Introduction to local home-energy financing programs
Learn the basics on delivering local financing programs for home-energy upgrades.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Saskatoon delivers Saskatchewan’s first local home-energy financing program
Learn how the City of Saskatoon designed its Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) to help residents retrofit their homes and reduce GHG emissions.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy | Housing
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.
Webinar recording
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Tool
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Resources: Community Efficiency Financing
Read guidebooks and case studies to see how municipalities are designing home upgrade financing programs.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Kingston supports homeowners with financing program for energy upgrades
Hear from Julie Salter-Keane, Manager of Climate Leadership at the City of Kingston, as she discusses the City’s program implementation and their approach to designing a strong local program.
Guide
Energy
Energy
Factsheet: Governance components for deep decarbonization
This factsheet introduces senior municipal leaders to key components of a good governance structure for deep emissions reductions and implementation actions.
Guide
Energy
Energy
Factsheet: Governance strategies for deep decarbonization
This factsheet provides senior municipal leaders with governance strategies for achieving deep emissions reductions in each decarbonization pathway.
Guide
Energy
Energy
Factsheet: Municipal governance for deep decarbonization
This factsheet provides senior municipal leaders with the pathways and steps for achieving deep decarbonization and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Tool
Energy
Energy
Climate Action Accelerator for Community Buildings
Is your municipality looking to drive climate action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in municipally-owned buildings, but is unsure how to maximize time and impact, secure funding and partnerships, or how to get started? FCM’s Climate Action Accelerator for Community Buildings will help up to 20 small and mid-sized municipalities take climate action within their building portfolios.
Video
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Video
Energy
Energy
Video: Tips from Iqualuit’s LEED Silver aquatic centre
In this video, you will learn the key elements and lessons learned that helped Iqaluit succeed on building its energy efficient aquatic centre.
Video
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: New municipal financing program removes barriers to energy-efficiency upgrades for homeowners
Marie-Pierre Paquette discusses how the municipalities of Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères banded together to launch a joint pilot project that would bring energy-efficient home renovations within reach for more homeowners.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Introduction to home energy upgrade programs
Watch this video to learn more about home energy upgrade programs and how they can help municipalities to tackle climate change, save money, and invest in the local economy.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Video
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: New municipal financing program removes barriers to energy-efficiency upgrades for homeowners
Marie-Pierre Paquette discusses how the municipalities of Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères banded together to launch a joint pilot project that would bring energy-efficient home renovations within reach for more homeowners.
Webinar recording
Energy | Housing
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.
Webinar recording
Energy
Energy
Webinar recording: How to adapt green municipal projects to stand the test of time
Watch this webinar recording and explore how to build and adapt projects to make them truly sustainable in the long term.
Webinar recording
Energy
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.
Video
Energy
Energy
Introducing GMF’s Community Buildings Retrofit initiative
Discover how GMF can support your community building retrofits, from funding for energy monitoring, building commissioning, studies and capital projects to capacity-building activities and resources.
Video
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Report
Energy
Energy
Article series: Meet LC3’s climate leaders
Read our article series to get to know the leaders of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network, and learn how they are advancing effective ways to address climate change in big cities.
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
GMF’s Municipal Energy Roadmap
Solutions for Canadian communities to achieve significant GHG emissions reductions in buildings and meet long-term sustainability objectives.
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Primer for elected officials: Municipal Energy Roadmap
This primer for elected officials outlines how the Municipal Energy Roadmap can help choose the right energy-related solutions for your buildings.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Regional Energy Coaches
Regional Energy Coaches help affordable housing providers plan energy efficiency retrofits and new builds.
Webinar recording
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Tool
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
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.
Webinar recording
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Webinar recording: How to create an efficiency financing program for your community
An overview of the funding options, eligibility and application details of GMF’s Community Efficiency Financing program.
Tool
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Factsheets: Community Efficiency Financing
Learn how to design, deliver and market a home upgrade financing program for your community.
Tool
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Webinar recording
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
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.
Webinar recording
Energy | 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.
Tool
Energy
Energy
Tool for municipal clean energy program development: Use the Energy Poverty and Equity Explorer to reduce energy poverty and greenhouse gases
The Energy Poverty and Equity Explorer tool, developed by Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners (CUSP), offers municipalities access to relevant data so they can better understand energy poverty, and other equity and affordability challenges in their communities.
Webinar recording
Energy | Housing
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
Local energy generation
Energy
Waterloo Region uses 100% of biogas to fuel heat/electricity in wastewater facilities
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing