Construction has started on a supportive housing project in Whalley, according to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Construction started Friday (May 22), the ministry said.
According to the ministry, each unit will include a private washroom and kitchen. The building will also include a commercial kitchen, dining and lounge areas, storage and amenity space, laundry and a medical room.
Peterson Place will be operated by Fraserside Community Services Society and will provide residents with “24/7 on-site staff and support services, including meal programs, life and employment skills training, health and wellness support services and opportunities for volunteer work.
“We are thrilled that even during these uncertain pandemic times, this project is moving ahead,” said Lynda Edmonds, CEO of FCSS.
“We are thankful that the Province and the City of Surrey recognize the importance of safe and secure housing for people experiencing homelessness. The addition of 38 new units and the expansion of on-site services, including access to daily meals and counselling, will have a significant and positive impact on the lives of residents at Peterson Place and in creating broader communities of belonging for all people in Surrey.”
The 38 homes, located at 13245 King George Blvd., are part of a 250-home pledge between the province and the City of Surrey to replace the current temporary sites in Whalley for those experiencing homelessness.
This location, Peterson Place, is the first project under construction, with work expected to be completed by the end of the summer.
Surrey Councillor Brenda Locke told the Now-Leader in February that one of the three modular housing sites in Whalley, Nickerson Place, would be closing at the end of August.
READ ALSO: Councillor, BC Housing confirms closing date for a Surrey modular location, Feb. 29, 2020
She said she’s talked “a lot” with the planning department, to make sure “everybody transfers properly.”
“Our timelines are going to be really squeezed, there’s no doubt about that. Our timelines will be tough.”
It was last June that Locke told the Now-Leader that the three modular locations had been given “modest” one-year extensions.
She said it would give the city and BC Housing “that sort of wiggle room” to inform the communities about what was happening.
So far, only Nickerson Place, located at 13550 105th Ave., will be affected by the Aug. 31 timeline.
Locke said the Nancy Gerard Building (10662 King George Blvd.) and the Steve Cobon Building (13455 107A Ave.) don’t have a tentative closing date.
For more information on supportive housing in Surrey, visit letstalkhousingbc.ca/surrey.
READ ALSO: Surrey council approves modular housing projects for homeless after lengthy hearing, July 22, 2019
