Rick Stiebel/News Staff
A housing project in Colwood takes aim at the shortage of housing for middle-class families and earners.
Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean said the addition of 48 rental homes on Belmont Road underlines the commitment by the B.C. government to address housing needs for all ages and demographics.
The project is being built by Stride Properties through a BC Housing program called HousingHub, which was created in 2018 to work with community, government, non-profit and private stakeholders to create new rental housing and ownership options for the province’s middle-class.
“Collaboration is right at the heart of how I work,” Dean said. “The team at HousingHub is moving forward with exciting new projects for rental homes for working families. We all know the impact of the housing crisis. I hear stories every day of people who can’t find a place to live and have to move away. Our government is making different choices in how we tackle this problem.”
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Dean cited another project announced in February for 120 rental homes for middle-class families in Colwood and another that will provide affordable housing for Indigenous families as examples of the difference the government is making. “There have been 2,800 homes completed in the CRD and there’s more on the way,” she added.
The homes will be available to households with annual incomes between $52,000 and $66,000. The rents for a one-bedroom home will be about $1,300 a month, and $1,650 per month for two-bedroom units.
Colwood Mayor Rob Martin said this project will provide more opportunities for people to work in the community they live in. “That’s a real positive,” Martin said. “Affordable housing is an integral part of building an inclusive community.” The new homes will be easily accessible to dedicated parkland, the trails at Royal Roads, Esquimalt Lagoon, the new town centre at Colwood Corners, West Shore Recreation facilities and the library.
Stride Properties president Matt Peulen said there’s a “very important need” for housing for middle-income families and earners, and thanked Martin and Colwood’s council and staff for their assistance with the project, as well as the neighbouring residents for their patience throughout the construction process.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. The B.C. government is providing $9.7 million for the project through the HousingHub.
More than 20,000 new homes have been completed throughout the province through HousingHub, Building BC funds and other provincial investments.
rick.stiebel@goldstreamgazette.com
