To increase the supply of affordable housing on Galiano Island, the Capital Regional District (CRD) has announced the purchase of a property earmarked for a 20-unit affordable rental housing complex.
The property was purchased for $672,000 and the development, called Thuthiqut Hulelum’ – or Forest Homes – will cost $14 million, the regional district announced on Monday, July 8. They have committeed $2 million in funding.
Justine Stark, the CRD’s manager of service delivery for the Southern Gulf Islands, hopes to garner federal funding for the project.
“We have [funding] applications out there, and if we’re successful, I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to get shovels in the ground at start of next spring,” said Stark.
This development will help address what Stark described as an acute housing crisis on Galiano, where most of the 1,500 residents live in single-family homes.
“For folks who are suffering from a lack of housing, there is very, very little stock of rental housing and an especially low amount ... of small units,” she said, adding that renters are often priced out of the housing market while median income earners can’t afford to purchase property.
Without a sufficient stock of rental housing, Stark thinks the island may struggle to retain early childhood educators, teachers, doctors and mental health professionals. However, once the Forest Homes development is complete, the availability of housing available to Galiano renters will skyrocket, Stark said.
“Twenty units of housing has a really big impact on a small community. Building 20 units on Galiano would have the same impact on a population basis as building 4,000 units in Greater Victoria.”
Paul Brent, electoral area director for the Southern Gulf Islands, said the purchase of this property marks a significant step forward in addressing the need for rental housing.
“We are committed to creating inclusive, sustainable communities, and the Thuthiqut Hulelum’ Housing Project stands as a beacon of hope for low to moderate income individuals and families seeking a place to call home," said Brent.
