Mountain View Seniors' Housing is weeks away from hearing whether it will receive a government grant it's competing for that could allow it to build a new 103-unit seniors' facility in Sundre, officials say.
The non-profit housing organization applied for the Affordable Supportive Living Initiative (ASLI) capital grant from Alberta Health Services earlier this year, and according to MVSH CAO Sam Smalldon, they should hear if their application is successful soon.
“We put in a very good project, and we believe we met all of the criteria for the application,” Smalldon said May 21. “We've been given a date when there may be an announcement, and all I can say is, we're probably about two weeks from hearing.”
The competitive nature of the project makes releasing any further information a sensitive issue, he said.
At this point, he said MVSH has “a 50/50 chance,” of winning the competition that could see the much-needed facility in Sundre one step closer to becoming a reality.
“That doesn't mean we did or didn't get the project, but we are competing for it and we are hoping to get it,” he said. “The original estimates will have to be refined with a full construction drawing and tender, and we'll have to finish all of that in the next six months after the announcement – provided we're successful.”
Even if the organization successfully obtains the grant, Smalldon said the project's true viability will need to be assessed once hard figures are compiled, at which point the MVSH board will ultimately give the final decision.
The proposed facility would have 103 units, with 40 designated assisted living units (DAL) providing care levels 4 and 4D, he said.
“Supportive living 4 and 4D are not in the area, so they'd be filling a gap where people can stay in their community,” he said.
The 63 remaining units would be split between 45 supportive living units (levels one and two care) and 18 life-lease units, like those in Olds, he said.
“It will allow people to stay in Sundre in their final days, instead of having to relocate to larger centres like Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton,” he said.
The organization currently has about 220 lodge residents living in four separate lodges in the county, which includes 12 life-lease residents, and 30 designated assisted living (DAL) residents, who receive a higher level of care, he said.
The other 190 are regular lodge residents.
“It's been a long road. There's no question about the demand in Sundre, it's just who will meet that demand,” he said.
