Wood Buffalo Housing

What Wood Buffalo Housing does

Wood Buffalo Housing & Development Corporation (WBH) is a not-for-profit affordable housing organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. In 2002 the Province of Alberta designated WBH as the official housing management body for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, giving it statutory responsibility for administering subsidized housing programs in the region. WBH operates four core program lines: Near Market Housing rentals (self-sustaining units priced at least 10% below market rates), Seniors Housing (subsidized self-contained apartments and a 39-bed supportive-living lodge, Rotary House), Community Housing (51 income-based subsidized units where tenants pay 30% of adjusted income), and Rent Supplement Programs (the provincial Rent Assistance Benefit and Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit). The portfolio spans approximately 20+ named properties across Fort McMurray neighborhoods (Timberlea, Eagle Ridge, Stone Creek, Downtown), as well as Anzac and Fort Chipewyan, totaling roughly 1,000+ near-market units plus approximately 150 seniors beds/units.

The organization runs on a mixed revenue model: Near Market Housing generates self-sustaining rental revenue without government operating subsidies, while Seniors Self-Contained Housing, Community Housing, and Rotary House Lodge are funded through a combination of tenant rent (income-based at 30% of adjusted income) and annual operating grants from the Province of Alberta (and municipal property taxes for the lodge). Rent Supplement Programs are administrative pass-throughs of provincial subsidy funding. Tenant and applicant interactions are handled through SecureCafe-powered online portals (a third-party property management platform), supplemented by in-person service at the Fort McMurray administration office, a dedicated seniors intake line, quarterly tenant newsletters, and Facebook/Instagram presence. GTM is direct-to-consumer via online applications and office appointments, with no traditional salesforce or marketing apparatus.

WBH's customer base is concentrated in the RMWB region and segment-diversified across working families seeking near-market rentals, low-income households qualifying for community housing, seniors aged 65+ in RMWB for at least 3 months, and Rent Supplement recipients. The organization has entered into MOUs with the Conklin Resource Development Advisory Committee (2017), Fort Chipewyan (2018), Fort McKay (2018), and McMurray Métis (2021) to extend affordable housing into rural and Indigenous communities. In March 2025 WBH divested the Marshall House property to Centre of Hope, indicating portfolio rationalization. Leadership includes President and CEO Patricia Scantlebury-MacInnis and three Directors covering Corporate Services, Client and Stakeholder Relations, and Property and Asset Management, with governance by a board chaired by Alex McKenzie since January 2023.

Name

Wood Buffalo Housing

Legal name

Wood Buffalo Housing

Website

https://wbhousing.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wood Buffalo Housing is a not-for-profit, Alberta-designated housing management body that provides affordable, seniors, community, and rent-supplement housing across roughly 1,000+ units in Fort McMurray and surrounding RMWB communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Affordable housing services
• Social housing management
• Rent subsidy programs
• Seniors supportive living
• Community housing administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Mcmurray

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Near Market Housing Rentals: Self-sustaining rental program where WBH does not receive operating funding from government (municipal or provincial). Rents charged need to be sufficient to cover expenses while keeping them at least 10% below market rates.
2. Seniors Self-Contained Housing: Government-subsidized housing where tenants pay up to 30% of their total income toward rent and the province provides an annual grant to manage operations.
3. Community Housing: Government-subsidized units where tenants pay 30% of their total adjusted income toward rent with province providing annual operational grant.
4. Rent Supplement Programs: Manages Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB) - long-term subsidy and Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit (TRAB) - modest short-term subsidy on behalf of the province.
5. Rotary House Lodge: 39-bed supportive-living seniors' lodge funded through municipal property taxes. Residents pay 30% of adjusted gross income plus monthly service fee for meals, housekeeping, and recreation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wood Buffalo Housing is a not-for-profit housing management body that operates affordable housing programs across the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. It provides Near Market Housing rentals priced at least 10% below market rates, income-based subsidized Community Housing and Seniors Housing, supportive-living lodge services for seniors, and administers provincial Rent Supplement Programs including Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit and Rent Assistance Benefit. The organization manages a portfolio of approximately 20 apartment and townhouse properties across Fort McMurray, Anzac, and Fort Chipewyan.

Product overview

Wood Buffalo Housing (WBH) is a not-for-profit housing organization that operates a portfolio of affordable housing programs rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include: Near Market Housing Rentals (housing at 10% below market rates), Seniors Housing (subsidized and supportive-living options for those 65+), Community Housing (income-based subsidized units), and the Rent Supplement Program (Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit and Rent Assistance Benefit). These programs are supported by digital platforms including a Tenant Portal and Applicant Portal built on third-party property management systems. The organization manages approximately 20 named properties across Fort McMurray, Anzac, and Fort Chipewyan, including apartment complexes, townhouses, mobile homes, and a supportive-living lodge. The programs are facilitated through Provincial government partnerships and operate under the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Near Market Housing Rentals Rental housing units offered at least 10% below market rates for working individuals and families, including 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments, condo-style townhouses, and 3- and 4-bedroom townhouses. All units are pet-friendly with one-year lease terms. Properties include Breakwater, Creekside, Delta, Horizon View, Shores, Venture Terrace, Edgewater Court, Sandpiper Cove, Prospect View, Stony Mountain Plaza, and Siltstone Ridge.
• Seniors Housing Subsidized housing for seniors aged 65+ who have been residents of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for at least 3 months. Includes self-contained apartments in Legion Manor (12 units), Araubasca House (18 units), Woodsmoke Elders (4 mobile homes in Anzac), Ayabaskaw Home (10 units in Fort Chipewyan), and the Rotary House Lodge (39-bed supportive-living seniors lodge with meals, housekeeping, and recreation included). Tenants pay 30% of adjusted gross income toward rent.
• Community Housing Subsidized housing units where tenants pay 30% of their total adjusted income toward rent, intended for low-income households below income thresholds with assets under $25,000. Limited to 51 units with priority-based allocation based on highest need. The Province of Alberta provides an annual operational grant.
• Rent Supplement Program Provincial program managed by WBH on behalf of the Province of Alberta offering two rent assistance benefits: the Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit (TRAB) for short-term subsidy to help recipients stabilize, and the Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB) for long-term subsidy for lower-income Albertans across the region.
• Affordable Home Ownership Program Income-based program to help eligible applicants achieve home ownership through reduced housing costs in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ people helped find housing since 2001
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Centre of HopeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2025Centre of Hope purchased Marshall House property from Wood Buffalo Housing in March 2025. Centre of Hope had previously moved its operations to the Marshall House property in March 2020.
• McMurray MétiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2021McMurray Métis signed MOU with Wood Buffalo Housing to collaborate on housing initiatives.
• Fort McKay CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2018MOU to improve affordable housing in Fort McKay community.
• Fort Chipewyan CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2018MOU to improve affordable housing in Fort Chipewyan. WBH manages Ayabaskaw Home (10 one-bedroom senior apartments) in Fort Chipewyan.
• Conklin Resource Development Advisory Committee (CRDAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2017MOU signed September 21, 2017 to create collaborative framework for addressing affordable housing in Conklin. Goals include ensuring residents have access to safe, quality affordable housing, maximizing effectiveness of housing investment, reviewing best practices, and prioritizing development of new affordable housing opportunities. Next step was creating an Affordable Housing Action Plan.
• Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship with RMWB. WBH was built at the urging of the Province and RMWB to meet unprecedented growth and demand. Councillor Kendrick Cardinal serves as RMWB Representative Member on WBH Board.
• Province of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial government designated WBH as provincial housing management body in 2002. Province provides annual grants for subsidized housing operations (Community Housing, Seniors Self-Contained Housing) and funds Rent Supplement Programs.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BC Housing: BC Housing is a provincial crown corporation managing subsidized and affordable housing across British Columbia. Like WBH, it is a designated provincial housing management body facilitating government housing programs at regional scale, operating apartment buildings, townhouses, and supportive housing units with rent-supplement programs.
• Toronto Community Housing Corporation: TCHC is Canada's largest social housing provider, operating over 2,300 buildings and ~58,000 units in Toronto. It is a direct comparable to WBH as a non-profit social housing operator running rent-geared-to-income (RGI) programs alongside market and near-market rentals, seniors housing, and waiting list management.
• Calgary Housing Company: Calgary Housing Company is a non-profit affordable housing provider in Alberta, sharing the same provincial regulatory environment as WBH. It manages a portfolio of community housing, rent supplement programs, and near-market rentals — directly comparable business model and customer base to Wood Buffalo Housing.
• Ottawa Community Housing Corporation: OCH is one of the largest social housing providers in Ontario, operating ~14,500 community housing units across Ottawa. Its mix of rent-geared-to-income units, near-market rentals, and seniors housing mirrors WBH's portfolio composition and tenant programs.
• Capital Region Housing Corporation (Edmonton): Capital Region Housing is a non-profit housing management body in Edmonton, Alberta — directly comparable to WBH as an Alberta-based affordable housing operator managing subsidized units, near-market rentals, and seniors housing within the same provincial regulatory framework.

Regional players

• Greater Toronto Area Housing Authorities (Region of Peel, York, Durham): Regional housing authorities in Ontario's 905-belt operate similar community housing and rent supplement programs to WBH. While operating in a different region, they share the same Canadian non-profit social housing management model with provincial funding flows and rent-geared-to-income tenants.

Emerging players

• HomeFront (Calgary): HomeFront operates transitional and affordable housing in Calgary, Alberta. While more focused on homelessness/transitional housing than WBH, it shares the Alberta non-profit affordable housing ecosystem, similar tenant demographics, and provincial funding dependencies.
• Habitat for Humanity Canada: Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit affordable home ownership provider across Canada. WBH runs a comparable Affordable Home Ownership Program, and Habitat operates a similar low-income home ownership mission though through new-build construction rather than rental management.
• Century Housing Society: Century Housing is a BC-based non-profit that builds and manages affordable rental housing for people with low-to-moderate incomes. While operating in BC rather than Alberta, it mirrors WBH's role as a non-profit developer/manager of affordable housing portfolios funded by provincial programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WoodBuffaloHousing
• Instagraminstagram.com/wbhousing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wood Buffalo Housing