Westwinds Communities is making applications to the province for funding for three affordable housing projects.

They include two in Okotoks, Drake Landing and D'Arcy Ranch and one in Black Diamond, west of the Oilfields Hospital and Glen Mead Park.

The Drake Landing project is currently under construction and should be complete by June 1.

CEO Lauren Ingalls says they're one of many groups who'll be applying for a share of the $7 million the province is making available.

"We're very cognizant of that with the ask, the grant funding guidelines indicate that you can't apply for more than, I think it's about a third of the capital cost that you have for the project."

She says the announcement of the funding comes at a perfect time.

"We've actually been waiting for many months for this grant cycle, it's a very tight timeline, grant applications close January 11th and hopefully we're successful with at least one of the options that we're providing to the Province for funding or land transfer."

The land near Glen Mead in Black Diamond is actually Provincial property.

All the funding agreements have to be in place by March 1 so Ingalls believes the government is looking at shovel-ready projects or those that will be completed quickly.

"We have found since November 2021 that there's virtually no rental stock available in our communities, it no sooner pops up than it's rented and to the need for rental housing and affordable housing is very high in our local communities," she says.

"We have a rent supplement program where we're able to provide households with a supplement to offset their rental costs and the challenge we find is approved applicants aren't able to find housing."

Westwinds Communities operates in Okotoks, High River and Black Diamond.