When you live on an island in Canada you have to learn to do a lot of things where almost everything is trucked in to build new housing. And that’s exactly what Prince Edward Island (PEI) did when it came to building a new 28-unit affordable housing complex.
Officials say that a modular build was key to keeping a new affordable housing complex in downtown Charlottetown on time and close to budget — and that Islanders can expect more projects like it.
It is run by the Canadian Mental Health Association and each unit will rent for under $800 per month to Islanders with mental health or addiction issues. Fifteen of the units are specifically meant for women.
The project cost roughly $11.5 million. Of that, $7.9 million came from the Government of Canada through the Rapid Housing Initiative. CMHA also received a capital grant of $2 million and annual operating grants in the total amount of $2.8 million over 20 years from the province.
“That’s why these incentives are so important. We need to make sure the numbers do make sense for the developers and landlords to able to do this,” said Matthew MacKay, P.E.I.’s housing minister.
The building went up in 13 months and stayed relatively on budget, despite the rising cost of materials and the major labor shortage facing the construction industry.
Many of the parts were constructed in a factory in New Brunswick and just pieced together here.
Craig Mitchell, project manager with 720 Solutions, says with modular builds, the prices are locked in well in advance and the projects can be completed faster and with fewer people.
“A factory has a lot more control over their labor force,” he said. “They come to work every day, they work in particular stations … and then here on site, we need only a smaller crew here to stitch the units together.”
P.E.I. government is planning to build hundreds of public housing units and subsidize other developments with many of them modular.
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder. Email at [email protected]
Gary Fleisher, Contributing Editor for Modular Home Source
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