More and more residents are struggling to find and afford a roof over their head.
With a vacancy rate of one per cent, support is building in Vernon to provide the basic need of shelter.
BC Housing has announced 665 affordable rental units for the area, for every demographic from students, to seniors and the homeless.
Lumby is the latest community getting more homes – 20 for low to moderate income residents at 2211 Shield Avenue.
“Seniors in Lumby have had a challenging time finding a place to call home that is affordable and accessible,” Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu said.
The Lumby & District Senior Citizens Housing Society will build the units, which are povided by the Building BC: Community Housing Fund.
Other projects coming to the area include:
Turning Points Collaborative Society (very low income)
• 124 – 3610 25th Ave., 4005 Pleasant Valley Rd., 3400 Coldstream Ave., 5545 27th Ave.
• 98 – 3500 27th St. and 2307 43rd St.
• 112 – 3800, 3802, 3802A 27th Ave.
• 52 – 2600 35th St.
Okanagan College student housing
• 100 – 7000 College Way
Vernon Pensioner’s Accommodation Society (low to moderate income)
• 48 – 3400 Coldstream Ave.
Vernon Native Housing Society
• 38 – 5545 27th Ave.
Vancouver Resource Society for the Physically Disabled
• 32 – 3800 27th Ave.
Okanagan Indian Band
• 16 – reserve #1
Vernon and District Community Land Trust (low to moderate income)
• 13 – 6309-6321-6335 Okanagan Landing Rd.
• 12 – 4005 Pleasant Valley Rd.
The North Okanagan homes are part of more than 2,400 coming for people across B.C. with moderate and low incomes in 39 communities.
“These new homes mean that thousands of families, seniors and Indigenous peoples in our province will enjoy safe, new, affordable homes,” Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing David Eby said. “These homes are part of the nearly 30,000 affordable homes now complete or underway in every corner of the province, building on the significant momentum as we recover from more than a decade of underinvestment in housing by the old government. We’re making good progress in addressing the housing crisis for all British Columbians, and there’s more to do.”
A total of 47 new projects have been selected through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund (CHF).
“Every one of the affordable homes announced today (Friday, June 4) are desperately needed and will change the life course for thousands of individuals and families in the decades ahead,” BC Non-Profit Housing Association CEO Jill Atkey said. “The community housing sector looks forward to working with municipal partners to ensure these new homes are built as quickly as possible.”
The CHF supports mixed-income buildings. These projects have:
* 50 per cent of the units for households with annual incomes up to $64,000;
* 30 per cent of the units for households with incomes up to approximately $74,000; and
* 20 per cent of the units for households with very low incomes (including those on income or disability assistance).
Some of the projects have been previously announced but are still in the development stages.
READ MORE: Affordable housing moves to Vernon, Okanagan Indian Band
READ MORE: Major investor picks up Penticton, Vernon rental housing
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Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming (from left), Justin Vanderham of Three Per Cent Realty, Cindy Masters of the Vernon and District Land Trust Society, Bruno Carneiro of Faction Projects, Don Dudgeon of Cardan Enterprises and City of Vernon councillor Kari Gares break ground Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020 on a new 12-home affordable housing facility in the 4000 block of Pleasant Valley Road. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)
Vernon city council approved a new seniors housing development slated for McCulloch Court that will add 48 one-bedroom units Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. (Contributed)
