More than 60 new affordable rental homes are on the way in Nanaimo with support from the provincial government.
The B.C. Ministry of Attorney General and Responsible for Housing announced on Wednesday that 16 projects providing 634 new homes will receive money from the Building B.C. Community Housing Fund.
A 53-unit building at 6010 Hammond Bay Rd., near Brickyard Road, will house independent seniors, people with disabilities and families, in partnership with the Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society, the release says.
The four-storey building with underground parking includes one- and two-bedroom units.
The community housing fund supports mixed-income buildings, with 20 per cent of the units for households with “very low incomes” including those on income or disability assistsance, according to the release. Half the units are for households with annual incomes up to $64,000, and the remaining 30 per cent of the units are for households with incomes up to $74,000.
“By providing more affordable housing options, we are changing the rental landscape in the region,” said Adam Walker, Parksville-Qualicum MLA, in a separate press release. “This housing will help families, seniors, and people with disabilities secure a quality and affordable place to live so they can enjoy full lives.”
The ministry’s release also announced that the fund will provide support for an additional eight homes for indigenous families on Nanaimo reserve No. 4 in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation.
As well, the fund will support a Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society project in Parksville at 371 Alberni Hwy. to create 87 units for seniors, people with disabilities and multi-generational families.
“Every new home announced today will make a difference in the lives of British Columbians for generations to come, because homes in the community housing sector remain affordable forever,” said Jill Atkey, CEO of the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association, in the ministry’s release. “While we have much more to do, these homes add to a strong foundation on which to keep building.”
READ ALSO: Two affordable housing projects opening this month in Nanaimo
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