our projects…

Westminster Housing Society (WHS) has been active in acquiring properties and either constructing a new building, or rehabilitating an existing structure. We have been at it for almost 25 years. Since bare land is hard to find in the inner-city, most of our projects are of the of the rehabilitation kind. We are constantly on the look-out for new opportunities. When an opportunity arises we must then explore whether financing is available from government sources to cover the largest share of the capital cost.

Since our rehab projects involve a total upgrading of the building, it often costs almost as much to complete a rehab job as it would to construct a brand-new project.

Sometimes we have the good luck to have an older house donated to us, or sold to us at a substantial discount. Often we have acquired a property that has been damaged by fire, or is otherwise in disrepair, and therefore can be bought below the usual market price.

WHS works with community organizations – West Broadway Community Org. and Spence Neighbourhood – to find properties that are candidates for rehabilitation. That means that the building must have a solid foundation. After that requirement is met anything is possible.

We believe that our rehab projects not only provide good quality housing for our tenants but also enhance the immediate neighbourhood . When WHS invests in an inner-city block it sometimes inspires other owners along the street to do likewise. The whole community benefits.

The photos below show part of our inventory of deteriorating or damaged structures, made well again by rehabilitation.