Rohit has broken ground on its first non-market housing project in Calgary's Midfield Heights community, marking a potential shift in how affordable housing is delivered across Canada. The development, a partnership between Edmonton-based Rohit Homes and Calgary Housing, will feature 176 rental units across two mid-rise buildings.
A Pioneering Approach
This project represents a novel model for building affordable homes more quickly and at lower cost. By leveraging Rohit's 40 years of expertise in design, construction, and delivery, the partnership aims to create a replicable framework for non-market housing. Adil Kodian, executive vice-president of Rohit Homes, stated: 'We believe the fastest path to more affordable housing is private builders and non-market operators working side by side.'
Cost Savings and Efficiency
The fixed-price contract offered by Rohit is significantly more cost-effective than traditional public sector procurement. Bo Jiang, interim CEO of Calgary Housing, explained: 'In terms of the pricing that Rohit provided us with this fixed price contract, it is meaningfully lower than what we would normally be able to obtain through the public sector procurement.' This reduction in construction costs lowers the mortgage amount, thereby decreasing monthly operating expenses and allowing Calgary Housing to pass savings on to residents through reduced rents.
Unit Mix and Accessibility
The Midfield Heights rentals will include studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units targeted at lower- and moderate-income Calgarians. Additionally, 10 percent of units will be designed to be adaptable to barrier-free living. The design and features will be comparable to Rohit's market-rate developments, ensuring high quality for residents. Construction is expected to take 19 to 20 months, with occupancy anticipated around mid-2028.
A Win-Win-Win Outcome
Jiang emphasized the collaborative spirit of the project: 'We're very excited about this project, we're excited to try something different. This is just another example of how being creative and being open to ideas from the private sector has enabled a true win-win-win outcome for a project.' The partnership model, similar to that used at Midfield Heights, could 'make a major dent in solving the non-market housing opportunity,' according to Rohit.
