Edmonton Permanent Supportive Housing

In the middle of a global pandemic, on one of the tightest timelines imaginable, Edmonton built something remarkable: more than 200 new homes for people transitioning out of homelessness.

In 2020, the City of Edmonton secured funding through the Government of Canada’s Rapid Housing Initiative—an ambitious program to address housing insecurity through fast-tracked construction. The mandate was clear: move quickly, build smartly, and deliver real homes. GEC was engaged to design five supportive housing developments across the city, each designed, permitted, and in construction within just five months.

That kind of speed required modular construction. Prefabricated units were assembled off-site, trucked in, and craned into place while drawings were still being finalized. But speed didn’t mean sacrificing substance. Every decision was shaped by the needs of future residents—people who deserve not just shelter, but a sense of safety, light, and belonging.

Supportive housing includes around-the-clock care, including health and wellness services and life skills programming. Our design focused on creating spaces that feel human, private units filled with natural light, materials that feel warm and durable, and layouts that prioritize both independence and community. More than 30 of the 210 units are fully barrier-free, ensuring that accessibility isn’t an afterthought but an integral part of the design.

On the ground floor, each building includes shared spaces and secure offices for the nonprofit organizations that operate them. These areas are designed to be flexible, welcoming, and culturally responsive. Community rooms host everything from social gatherings to medical check-ins, and Indigenous Elders helped shape spaces that reflect cultural identity and healing.

To ensure each building feels like part of the neighbourhood, not apart from it, we worked closely with the unique context of each site. Colour accents, material palettes, and thoughtful massing decisions help break the institutional mould and create places people are proud to call home. With energy performance that exceeds code requirements, these buildings also contribute to long-term sustainability goals.

Five buildings. Two hundred ten homes. A project that proves design can be fast and still feel deeply human. For the residents now building new lives inside them, these are more than units—they’re fresh starts.