How we plan to build 20,000 units of affordable housing
across Canada by 2030
We’re not doing it alone! We work with municipalities, local housing non-profits, First Nations, social impact investors, construction contractors and professionals, and citizens who want to see their communities thrive. We believe in decentralization, so we work closely with local partners throughout development, from community engagement to operation.
We are currently developing four projects in Vancouver, Hope and Merritt BC. We have also started discussions with about a dozen municipalities in BC., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. These cities and towns are struggling with historically low vacancy rates and need affordable housing to strengthen their economies and help residents build their lives.
Anhart Homes and Anhart Community Housing Society are part of a small world network of emergent organizations in operation since 1983.
In 2013, Anhart was gifted $10 million in real estate equity by BC-based philanthropists.
Anhart combines letters from the names Anita and Hart Molthagen, two of Anhart’s original social impact investors.
Anhart’s development team is guided by Mukhtar Latif, former City of Vancouver chief housing officer, Ralf Schmidtke, former senior vice president of finance at Polygon Homes and Keith Gordon Wiebe, co-founder of Anhart Community Housing Society and Anhart Homes.
Anhart is a network of registered charities, community contribution companies, and general and limited partnerships. Controlling shares of Anhart entities are owned by the Anhart Community Housing Society, a charity.
Anhart maximizes services to beneficiaries (customers) while providing negotiated returns on investments to limited partners (investors), by delivering low-cost operations by a committed community-based team (managers).
Anhart is a decentralized network of community-based entities which are incorporated separately in each province and territory.
Most of the Anhart’s housing is designed for low-income seniors and families, people with disabilities and people working entry to mid-level jobs.
Anhart does not charge consultancy fees for any services. Anhart builds affordable homes for local communities using a self-sufficient, benevolent business model.
Anhart’s projects are privately developed with the cooperation of municipal and provincial governments. No municipal or provincial government funding has been required in British Columbia projects.
Anhart’s projects are privately funded and developed with the cooperation of municipal and provincial housing authorities. No provincial government funding is required.
No. We operate on a self-sufficiency model.
Anhart has four ways to access seed funding and construction financing: 1) leverage of its current assets; 2) private investments for seed finding and construction financing; 3) local credit union land purchase financing and seed funding; 4) seed funding and construction financing from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Anhart Homes has a self-imposed mandate to develop affordable housing in all 10 Canadian provinces and three territories before 2030.
Anhart plans to develop 20,000 affordable homes by developing and operating 400 affordable buildings in 100 different municipalities.
Anhart’s online property management and tenant services operating systems enable Anhart to operate housing anywhere in Canada, but Anhart prefers to train local operators to take “ownership” through long-term operational agreements.
Anhart started out in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, providing supportive housing to people with complex health and social challenges. As we develop projects across Canada, we can house people with acute risks to homelessness provided local communities can raise enough capital. Additional capital is required to house this population to lower debt service ratios in order to allow for subsidies from operational revenue.
Yes. We are currently exploring this model, popular in the UK and San Francisco, for one of our developments.
Anhart bears full responsibility for funding.
Yes. Anhart is partnering with a First Nation in Hope, BC to create a housing organization owned and operated by the First Nation.
Yes. Anhart’s Global Villages program has provided capital and coaching to help create community-based organizations, enterprising non-profit businesses and health and education infrastructure in DR Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Newer initiatives are currently being developed in Pakistan, Vietnam, Guatemala, El Salvador and Brazil.