Hopefully by now families in the Fruitvale-Trail area will have heard that the Housing Project for the Former Beaver Valley Middle School property in Fruitvale is going ahead. (Trail Times June 22- “Province to fund Fruitvale affordable housing project”)
This is fantastic news for families, for the community of Fruitvale. The Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society will manage the project, with Phase 1 being the construction of 28 new housing Units.
This project would not have seen the light of day if it were not for the forward thinking council from the Village of Fruitvale. Mayor Morissette and his group envisioned an Inclusive community, set directly in the heart of the village, and their vision will soon become reality.
The most attractive component of this project was to include a 34-36 spot Daycare center- a must need for the entire Beaver Valley, and the timing on this could not come at a more opportune time. With $1 billion in new funding over the next three years to support an accessible, affordable, and high quality early care and learning system where any family that wants child care will have access for their child.
Work on this has already begun, with announcements being made. So what this means for families earning between $60,000 and $80,000 per year will pay on average $10.00 per day and families earning less than $45,000 per year will receive free child care, in most cases.
For families like ours, this means our daughter will be able to live in the community that she grew up in, attend local events in, spends her hard earned dollars in and have the CHOICE of where she wants to live, rather than being SHOWN where she will live.
Just because an individual has an intellectual disability (often with other diagnosis as well) does not mean that they can’t have a place to call home. That home could be through – Home Ownership ( There is work nationally being done today that will allow folks that have an RDSP- Registered Disability Savings Plan to use that RDSP as leverage in home Ownership) – or subsidized/ affordable housing.
I plan on staying very close to this project and encourage other families to consider this inclusive/ intentional community as a viable option for their son/ daughter or family member.
Well done Village of Fruitvale,
Ben Postmus
Fruitvale
