Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon has announced eight new projects on Vancouver Island, with a total of almost 870 new rental homes to be built overall.
“Anyone that suggests that you can address housing without making direct investments in housing is surely heading in the wrong direction,” Kahlon said during the announcement in Saanich on Thursday (March 21).
Kahlon was joined by Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock and others to make the announcement at the Luther Court Society, which is receiving funding for 95 of these new homes. The Luther Court units will be for intergenerational housing, which is a based on a European model that combines housing for seniors with housing for young adults.
Overall, the new homes will range from deeply discounted units for those most in need to more market-rate rentals for middle income people.
Rental housing funded through this program is meant to consist of 70 per cent rent-geared-to-income units, in which rent is generally set at 30 per cent of household income. Of those, 20 per cent would be reserved for very low income tenants, such as people with disabilities or those on income assistance.
The rest of the units are still to be offered at below market rates.
The Luther Court project was a long time coming, Murdock said, adding, “I’m pleased to say it is shovel ready.”
Other developments include a project to redo the Nellie McClung Library on Cedar Hill Road and put 200 units on top of the library. These units will be designated for families and seniors, and will be built in partnership with the Capital Region Housing Corporation.
“This special community landmark will remain will retain its place in the neighbourhood, but will be rebuilt at double the size and modernize to offer a new up-to-date, state-of-the-art library facility and amenity space for our community, with affordable homes built on top,” Murdock said.
Central Saanich is also to get 110 new homes for families and seniors, Nanaimo will be getting 62 homes in partnership with the Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society, Port Alberni will get 40 homes for families and seniors, and Victoria is to get 77 more units at Chown Place.
There are a couple more projects in Greater Victoria in which the specific addresses were not announced, but one of them will be for 186 homes, while the other is for 97 homes.
“All of these are affordable housing options in communities that are desperately needed,” Kahlon said.
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