VICTORIA - Nearly 60 new affordable rental homes will soon be available for families and seniors in Victoria as construction begins on a new housing development in the community.

“This new apartment building means dozens of families and seniors in Victoria will be able to stay in their community, comfortably and affordably,” said Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake, on behalf of David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “Thank you to the Gorge View Society for working with us to build homes that will give Victorians the peace of mind that comes with safe, secure and affordable housing.”

Located at 11 Chown Pl., the four-storey apartment building will provide 58 homes for families and seniors with low to moderate household incomes. The building will have a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. In addition, residents will have access to a communal lounge, laundry and storage rooms, and a sun deck on the third floor of the building.

The Province, through BC Housing, is providing $6.1 million to the project through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund and will provide an annual operating subsidy of $115,000.

The Gorge View Society provided the land for the project and will own and operate the new homes.

People are expected to move into their new homes in fall 2022.

Quotes:

Lisa Helps, mayor, City of Victoria –

“Everyone deserves a home and we know that for many in our region safe, secure and appropriate housing has been simply out of reach. It’s encouraging to see this investment from the Province to help provide much-needed housing for seniors, which also has space for outdoor gathering and connection.”

David King, board chair, Gorge View Society –

“The Gorge View Society is excited to be a part of the growing solution to Canada’s affordable housing crisis. Together with help from community partner organizations, we are investing in the future of our community. With over six decades of experience providing safe, stable and affordable homes for seniors with low incomes, and as caring stewards of this land, we have seen the many positive outcomes that happen as a result of having access to stable, affordable housing. We at the Gorge View Society recognize and understand the connection between safe, stable, affordable housing and healthy communities. This new 58-unit building will not only provide housing for seniors and families in need, but will serve as the foundation for a strong, healthy and happy community.”

Quick Facts:

• The Community Housing Fund (CHF) is part of the Province’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan.
  • The CHF is an investment of $1.9 billion to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes for low- and moderate-income families and individuals over 10 years.
  • More than 8,600 of these homes are already open, under construction or in development.
• The CHF supports mixed-income buildings where 50% of the units are for households with annual incomes up to $64,000, 30% of the units are for households with incomes up to approximately $74,000 and 20% of the units are for households with very low incomes (including those on income or disability assistance).
• Including these homes, there are more than 3,200 affordable homes completed or underway in the capital region.

Learn More:

A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/

Contacts:

Ministry of Attorney General and Responsible for Housing
Media Relations
778 678-1572

BC Housing
Media Relations
media@bchousing.org