KANAKA BAR - Construction has started on a new housing development with 24 new affordable rental homes for Kanaka Bar Indian Band members and other people in the region.

This is a partnership between the Province, the Kanaka Bar Indian Band and The Crossing Place Housing Society.

“The badly needed new development will provide additional safe and affordable homes for Kanaka Bar Indian Band families, Elders and other members in their home community, supporting connection to family and culture,” said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “We are grateful to be working with partners like the Kanaka Bar Indian Band to deliver much-needed affordable housing, especially after this summer’s devastating fire in Lytton. We continue to call on the federal government to fulfil its responsibilities and match our funding to build even more much-needed housing for Indigenous people in B.C.”

Located on a site owned by Kanaka Bar Indian Band west of Highway 1, The Crossing Place will provide housing for Elders, families and members of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, as well as other Indigenous Peoples in the area. Non-Indigenous people are also welcome to apply.

“Kanaka Bar is very pleased to be advancing inclusive affordable permanent housing with the Province of British Columbia, for all the current and in some cases evacuated residents of the Fraser Canyon and also for those who may wish to move here in the future,” said Chief Patrick Michell, Kanaka Bar Indian Band. “What is being done at Kanaka can be replicated anywhere in Canada as Canadians all need safe, secure, resilient and affordable housing.”

The development will have a variety of one- to four-bedroom units, including row houses, detached single-family homes, townhouses and basement apartments. All homes will share a common amenity building.

The Province, through BC Housing, is providing approximately $5.2 million to the project through the Indigenous Housing Fund. Kanaka Bar Indian Band provided approximately $2.5 million for the project, including the land valued at $150,000.

The development is named after the traditional name for Kanaka Bar and its people, T’eqt’’aqtn, meaning “the crossing place”. The homes will be managed by The Crossing Place Housing Society (TCPHS), an experienced non-profit housing operator.

”The Crossing Place Housing Society was formed by Kanaka Bar to plan, develop, construct and operate affordable housing for people earning a low-to-moderate income,” said Zain Nayani, director, TCPHS. “This project will be inclusive because it will cater to the housing needs of eligible individuals and families from Kanaka Bar as well as other Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in the Fraser Canyon region. It will add to the overall vibrancy and resiliency of the community as well as the region.”

While this project has been in development since 2018, it has taken on extra significance in the community after the June 2021 wildfire in Lytton. Construction is expected to be completed in winter 2022.

Quick Facts:

• The Indigenous Housing Fund (IHF) is a 10-year, $550-million investment to build and operate 1,750 new homes, on and off reserve.
• With this commitment, B.C. became the first province in Canada to invest provincial housing funds into on-reserve housing, a federal jurisdiction.
• Including these homes, there are more than 1,100 IHF homes completed or underway in 26 communities throughout B.C.

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