By Tobias Romaniuk, Lac La Biche Post

        (AlbertaIndex, August 12, Tuesday) --- Affordable housing in the Lac La Biche area is believed to be scarce, but so were the people at a recent open house for the area's newest affordable housing development.

        Domain Properties held an open house for their new affordable housing development, but nobody showed up to the information session.

Danita Axenchuk, land developer with Domain Properties, isn't worried about the lack of attendance. She sees it as almost a good thing, since nobody came out to object to the plans, which could see construction beginning this fall.

As for potential buyers, Axenchuk is confident they're out there, citing new teachers, young families, and those looking to trade rent for a mortgage as possible customers.

“Because who has 350,000 as a young couple starting out, or individual starting out, to actually have a home?” said Axenchuk.

The development, which is located in the former Lac La Biche trailer park, is currently in the pre-construction phase, with all permits and rezoning in place, but still awaiting the completion of an area structure plan before construction can begin.

Sixty duplexes and row houses are what the plan calls for, with future plans for an apartment style condo building as well.

Each unit will be free-hold, like a regular house and lot, with the difference being a shared common wall, and smaller yards.

Although plans are not yet finalized, the current version is two storeys of living space totaling between 1,100 to 1,300 square feet, plus an unfinished basement and a garage.

“There’s really not housing for an individual or young family starting out. So this is the idea of affordable housing. You can still own your own little piece. It's yours," she said.

Prices have not been calculated yet, and Axenchuk was unwilling to give a quote, but did say they are hoping to keep the price around the $200,000 mark.

“It’s what the town needs,” she said, noting that the availability of affordable housing will help attract young professionals and families to Lac La Biche.

Domain Properties owner Joe Martushev agrees that Lac La Biche needs real estate in the lower price range, a market currently being served by apartment-style condominiums but not free-hold properties.

“It’s a market nobody else has attacked,” said Martushev.

TLC real estate agent Roy Worthington confirmed that Lac La Biche is in need of affordable housing, and he sees a need for it in the current market.

The cheapest homes he is selling are in the $275,000 to $325,000 range, with very little in the rental market for those unwilling or unable to invest in property.

“There’s hardly any vacancies in Lac La Biche,” Worthington said.

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