CLEARWATER - Seniors in Clearwater will soon have access to 20 affordable rental homes that will allow them to live independently and stay connected to their community, as construction begins on a new housing development.

“This new housing project will provide security, peace of mind and new opportunities for seniors in Clearwater,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee, on behalf of David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “We will continue to work in partnership to build new affordable homes like these that allow our seniors to retire and live independently in the communities they call home. Safe and secure housing is a basic human right. Our seniors have worked hard all their lives and now it's our turn to make sure that they have safe and affordable housing.”

Located on the 140 and 150 blocks of Evergreen Place, the site will feature a three-building complex with a combined 20 affordable townhomes for seniors with low to moderate incomes. The project will have 18 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units, including one accessible unit.

The Province is providing approximately $2 million for the project through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund. BC Housing will also provide approximately $195,000 in annual operating funding.

The Evergreen Acres Senior Housing Society provided the land for the project and will own and operate the homes. The society also operates four other seniors housing developments near the site. The Wells Gray Community Forest Corporation also donated $300,000 toward the project.

The project is close to the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and is near public transit, grocery stores and other community services.

Construction is expected to be complete in summer 2022.

Quotes:

Merlin Blackwell, mayor, District of Clearwater –

“I am so excited to see this project go forward. It’s such good news for our local seniors. I cannot thank the dedicated team at the Evergreen Seniors Society enough for all their efforts! Their hard work, and the hard work and support from BC Housing, the provincial government, the Wells Gray Community Forest and Evergreen Acres Senior Housing Society will allow even more local seniors to have a home in this already vibrant, safe, and friendly community.”

Evergreen Acres Senior Housing Society board of directors –

“The board of Evergreen Acres Senior Housing Society is pleased with this announcement. The generous support of BC Housing, Wells Gray Community Forests, the District of Clearwater plus community support has enabled this project to proceed. Larch Court was completed in December 2020 and is fully occupied. Cedar Lane is the new project and will be an asset to the North Thompson Valley and will continue to allow seniors to live in their community close to family and friends.”

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 8,800 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).

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