Growing Hope in Lethbridge - Affordable Housing

The Mustard Seed has applied for a Land Use Bylaw change, with permission from the current owner of 1303 Mayor Magrath Drive South, to allow for a conversion of the current Ramada Hotel and Chinook Motel into an 86-unit residential building and a resource centre.

No. This will be a residential building comprised of 86 self-contained apartment units. Residents will pay rent and live independently with access to supports that help them maintain stability and independence. By combining affordable housing with on-site, wrap-around supports, we can reduce residents’ reliance on other social services such as the health care system, child welfare, and police and judicial systems and risk of homelessness.

This building will provide affordable housing for community members most in need.
Tenants of this building must meet the following criteria:

• Residents must at least 18 years old
• Residents must meet the most recent Core Need Income Threshold (CNIT) as defined for affordable housing in the City of Lethbridge
• Residents must provide proof of income in order to pay all required rent and utilities
• Residents must understand, sign and comply with the Residential Services Agreement and House Rules and Expectations of their tenancy
• Residents must agree to a sober lifestyle and comply with any necessary testing for sobriety
• Residents must be willing and able to self-care physically, mentally, medically, hygienically and/or have supports in place to aid with their self-care (e.g. HomeCare)

• The proposed location at 1303 Mayor Magrath Drive S is an intentional choice that provides residents with optimal conditions to become self-sufficient, independent, and integrated into the community. By establishing this housing opportunity outside of the downtown core, it allows residents to connect with and take pride in living in well-established community. The location also has good access to transit and transportation routes, as well proximity to key amenities such as food and grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, churches, parks, and shopping centres.

Residents of the building will have access to a range of supports that help them maintain stability and independence. Supportive programming and best practices include:

• Resident wellness checks: to ensure the wellbeing of our residents, Housing Support Workers will complete wellness checks on residents who have not registered any FOB activity for 24+ hours. If residents cannot be found, our staff will connect with emergency contacts.
• Resident Care Plans: The Mustard Seed’s Housing strategy includes Housing Support Workers who maintain a case-load of residents who they meet regularly to ensure residents are accountable to their own goals and to mitigate any potential issues that may threaten a resident’s tenancy.
• Resident Referrals: Low income citizens often face obstacles and barriers; however, with support, we know that these barriers can be overcome. Resident Engagement staff will help residents build a strong support network and equip them for independent living. Based on individualized care plans, referrals may be made for supports like HomeCare, AISH, AlbertaWorks, occupational therapy, employment coaching and more.
• Resident Community Events: In order to decrease the isolation felt by many residents, our staff will prioritize the coordination of a number of resident community events such as game nights, movies nights, knitting groups, garden club, art group, BBQs etc.
• Tenant Board: Our staff will work with residents to establish a Tenant Board, giving residents a point of contact for concerns or ideas pertaining to the building.

No, The Mustard Seed will not be serving meals at this location. Renovations will outfit each unit with their own kitchen. As such, residents will be able to prepare and enjoy meals within their own apartments.

The Mustard Seed knows that poverty is no longer confined to our downtown streets or city cores, and we understand the value of providing supports to those in need in the neighbourhoods where they live.

The proposed Resource Centre would allow The Mustard Seed to delivers services like advocacy, counselling, and employment supports to residents of the housing program and the nearby communities of Lakeview, Henderson Lake, and Agnes Davidson communities.

The Mustard Seed would provide sober housing to support those residents who do not qualify or want to be part of a harm-reduction model of housing. A substance-free living environment is beneficial to individuals who are committed to maintaining their sobriety. The Mustard Seed does, however, recognize that this operating philosophy has limitations in how we can support those in need, and so we have put several procedures in place to allow us to work with prospective residents, including sober living agreement for those without a history of alcohol addiction and providing a safe housing option for individuals exiting a treatment program.

The safety of our residents, staff, volunteers, and the greater community is a top priority in all of the buildings and programs we operate. Policies and procedures we have in place for safety and security include:

• 24/7 on-site staffing
• Security cameras
• FOB systems
• Emergency planning and relationships with Emergenct Service providers
• No-loitering policy
• Incident reporting