PORT McNEILL—BC Housing confirmed it will provide six new modular housing units to the Town of Port McNeill, but Mayor Gerry Furney wants assurances the Crown Agency will be paying for delivery as previously promised.
Craig Crawford, vice-president of operations for BC Housing, announced confirmation of the subsidized housing units, planned for senior housing in Port McNeill, in a letter submitted to council during its regular meeting Oct. 3.
The missive said the units, which will augment a six-unit complex already in place on Grenville Place, would be provided at no cost and BC Housing would “contribute funding towards the costs associated with transporting” the units to Port McNeill.
Furney said his understanding was BC Housing was to pay all transportation costs for the units, which are fully-contained homes of approximately 600 square feet each.
“I’m curious what portion of the transportation costs they expect us to contribute,” Furney said. “I expect them to pay for all of it.
“I want to see them unloaded; I want to see a crane, that they’ve paid for, there to unload them; and I want to see a separate trailer here with the trusses and the sides, which are part of the units.”
Furney acknowledged the town will be responsible for site preparation, including foundations, and for installation of the units. That work will be coordinated by the Town with contributions from Port McNeill Rotary Club and the Port McNeill Lions.
“These contributions are a reflection of the community spirit that exists in Port McNeill and these organizations are to be congratulated for their efforts,” Crawford said in his letter.
Furney said work on bringing the low-income housing units to Port McNeill has been coordinated by a society set up for that purpose. The society helped secure the existing units, which are located on town property directly across from the Town Office, and has roughly $160,000 available in an account to help bring the new units to town, Furney said.
He said the town property could hold between six and 12 additional units of this type, though he is intent on first seeing the units promised by BC Housing delivered as agreed.
“I’m a little reluctant to count these chickens before they’re hatched,” he said.
