Sandstone non-market housing development
Future non-market housing site
The City of Calgary is committed to using City-owned land in ways that support municipal priorities for all Calgarians. The City is preparing to sell this site for the future development of non-market housing. While this site may look like a park or open space, it isn't designated as a park and therefore can be used as an important tool to address the housing needs of Calgarians.
Sandstone Valley Site - Future development
Address of the site:
15 Santana HL NW
(Click to view map)
Current Zoning
Special Purpose - City and Regional Infrastructure (S-CRI)
Anticipated timeline
2024
2025
2025
2025 - 2026
Opportunities for community feedback
There will be opportunities for community engagement during this process:
- Participating in the public hearing at a City Council meeting during the land use change process.
- Providing feedback to the applicant and The City as part of the development permit approval process.
The applicant is expected to conduct outreach with the community on aspects such as the built form as part of the planning and development process. The City recommends that applicants connect with the surrounding neighbours, community association, relevant member-based organizations and the Ward Councillor early in the process to discuss their development ideas.
Applicants will be asked to submit an Applicant Outreach Summary as part of their application to explain what community outreach efforts where undertaken.
The City also accepts feedback through the online development map (dmap) during this part of the process. Feedback on whether non-market housing is built at the site or not will not be up for consideration during the development approval process.
Site selection
A number of considerations are taken into account in the selection of non-market housing sites, such as the size of the parcel so that it could accommodate a housing development, and proximity to public transit, grocery stores, and other amenities and essential services.
As part of Home is Here - The City’s Housing Strategy, The City routinely sells surplus City-owned land at below market value to non-profit housing developers for the development of more non-market housing.
To date, The City has approved the sale of 17 City-owned parcels of surplus land to 10 non-profit organizations to develop and operate an estimated 835 non-market homes to provide Calgarians with safe and affordable accommodation.
This site was approved for sale by City Council on July 29, 2025:
Regular Meeting of Council - July 29, 2025 (Item 12.2.1 Proposed Method of Disposition – Various Properties – Non-Market Housing Land Disposition Strategy (NMLS #5), IP2025-0695)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “non-market housing”?
Non-market housing refers to housing that is not provided by the private market, but by public, non-profit, or cooperative sectors, often at rents or prices below standard market rates. This type of housing is specifically targeted towards low- and moderate-income households who may not be served by private developers and is characterized by long-term affordability secured through deeds and covenants.
Sometimes “non-market housing” is also referred to as “affordable housing.” In Canada, housing is considered “affordable” if it costs less than 30% of a household’s before-tax income.
When will the land be offered for sale?
The site will be posted for sale in in Q4 of 2025 to eligible non-profit organizations. Following a competitive application and evaluation process, The City will award the site to the successful applicant in early 2026.
Is the site for non-market housing being sold on the open market? How will you ensure it is a non-market buyer?
The land will be publicly marketed for sale through a transparent and competitive process. The chosen candidate will be an eligible non-profit organization who best exemplifies the ability to develop and operate a successful non-market residential project.
When will we know who the successful applicant/non-market housing provider is?
Once the land is sold in early 2026, we will publicly announce the successful applicant and provide an update on this page.
What kind of building is being proposed?
The future design of the built form and site layout is unknown at this time and will vary depending on the applications received and the planning requirements and design process. We began communicating with the community as early on in this process as possible to be transparent about the intention for the site.
Communicating early means we don’t have all the details yet, including what kind of building this will be. We will provide updates to this webpage once the site is sold and we know who the successful applicant is.
Is this going to be a homeless shelter or an addictions recovery centre?
No. It is going to be non-market housing units.
What demographic is this site intended for?
This site is intended for Calgarians in need of non-market housing. The demographic served will be further determined by the successful applicant (which we don’t know at this time as we haven’t sold the land yet).
Will this parcel of land be non-market housing permanently once its built?
Successful applicants will enter into a 40-year housing agreement with The City that guarantees a level of non-market affordability for the long term.
When can the community participate in engagement?
There will be opportunities for engagement as per the high-level anticipated timeline above on this webpage.
We began communicating with the community as early on in this process as possible to be transparent about the intention for the site. Communicating early means we don’t have all the details yet, including the timeframe for engagement since we haven’t even sold the land yet. We will provide updates to this webpage once the site is sold and we know who the successful applicant is.
Will the residents who live at this site receive social supports?
The successful applicant will provide supports to the residents in line with their ability and capacity to operate a successful non-market residential project.
Is this happening because of Rezoning for Housing?
No. We understand there are some misconceptions about Rezoning for Housing. To be clear, Rezoning for Housing did not affect this parcel of land. Learn more about it here.
Is this land designated as a park?
No. This parcel of land is not designated as a park, though we understand some of our surplus land parcels may look like parks. There have been some recent misconceptions about the perceived sale of parks.
To be clear, The City does not sell public parks in the Non-Market Land Sale Program. This site is surplus land that is available be used as an important tool to address the housing needs of Calgarians.
Have a question?
Do you have a question that hasn’t been addressed? Submit your question here. Common questions will be collected and added to the Frequently Asked Questions section on this webpage. Questions will also be shared with the future applicant. Please note your opportunity to provide specific feedback on the development proposal will happen at a future date.