Thousands more seniors and families will soon have a place to live following a nearly half-billion-dollar government investment in 72 new affordable housing projects.
About 4,900 units will be built in 42 communities across B.C. as part of the province’s 10-year Community Housing Fund.
READ MORE: Seniors, families focus of B.C. rental housing fund
Premier John Horgan and Housing Minister Selina Robinson made the announcement standing in front of Vancouver’s Chelsea Gardens, which will get $10.2 million for 102 homes for individuals, families and seniors.
“The project will include a mix of rent levels, including deep subsidy units for people with low income, like seniors on fixed income,” Robinson said.
Housing is also coming for low- to moderate-income families, such as people who work in the retail or service sector, she added, as well as for middle-income people like nurses, teachers and first responders.
This is not new money, just newly approved projects. This is part of the #BC govt's 10-year $1.9B Building BC: Community Housing Fund. Today's investment is worth $492M.@BlackPressMedia #bcpoli
Here are the 42 communities where the housing will be built: https://t.co/rrjpbP0iRK— Kat Slepian (@katslepian) November 13, 2018
Vancouver will see 10 projects and 1,101 homes, while Victoria will get five projects and 588 homes.
Jill Atkey, the CEO for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, said it’s important that Tuesday’s announcement is part of the long-term strategy to build 14,000 homes over 10 years.
“Spending more than you can afford on rent is the new normal,” Atkey said.
“One-third of British Columbians are renters and almost half of them are spending more than half of their income on rent, and almost one-in-five are spending more than 60 per cent of their income on rent.”
List of newly-approved housing projects in B.C. by Kat Slepian on Scribd
