30
July
2020
|
11:36 AM
America/Los_Angeles

New affordable homes for families, seniors open in Vancouver

VANCOUVER - Low- to- moderate-income families, seniors and people with disabilities are moving into 67 new affordable rental homes in Vancouver.

The new homes are the first phase of the redevelopment of Heather Place, a partnership between the Province and Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation.

"Everyone deserves safe, secure and affordable housing, and this project will make a real difference in the lives of the families and seniors who will call it home," said George Heyman, MLA for Vancouver-Fairview. "This is a great step forward and we know there is more to do. We're going to keep working with our partners to build the homes people need."

Located at 733 - 773 West 14th Ave., the project includes homes of varying sizes, from studios to three-bedroom homes, and includes four accessible units. The project also includes a play court, community kitchen and meeting spaces.

Twenty-nine of these homes have rents from approximately $380 to $1,140 per month, designed for households with annual incomes up to $40,000 to $66,500. The remaining homes are low-end market rentals, with rents starting at approximately $1,200 per month.

When complete, the Heather Place redevelopment will provide 230 new rental homes for people with a mix of incomes.

Delivering affordable housing is a shared priority between government and the BC Green Party caucus and is part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

Quotes:

Sav Dhaliwal, chair, Metro Vancouver Regional District board of directors -

"Our collaboration with BC Housing and the Province is a testament to what's possible when governments and agencies work together. With the first phase of the Heather Place redevelopment project now complete, we will continue to implement the programs and projects that, with the right support, will help expand and diversify affordable housing throughout the region."

Mike Hurley, chair, Metro Vancouver Housing Committee -

"In its 10-Year Housing Plan, Metro Vancouver Housing anticipates investing over $190 million to preserve and improve its current sites and to build or redevelop 1,350 new units over the next decade. We will continue to seek partnerships with other agencies and orders of government to best leverage our investments and to support the creation of even more affordable housing units."

Kennedy Stewart, mayor, City of Vancouver -

"The Heather Place redevelopment is proof that by working in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, we can deliver mixed-income communities in the middle of a Vancouver single-family neighbourhood. Partnerships like this one deepen affordability while making room for more of our neighbours across all of Metro Vancouver."

Quick Facts:

  • The Province provided $6.7 million in capital funding and $13.3 million in construction financing for the project.
  • Metro Vancouver's contribution to the first phase of the Heather Place redevelopment is$21.3 million.
  • Working with partners, the Province has opened or initiated nearly 3,700 new affordable homes for people with a range of incomes in Vancouver since 2017:
    • housing for people with middle incomes: 135 homes
    • housing for people with low to moderate incomes, including families, seniors and Indigenous peoples: 2,518 homes
    • housing for women and children leaving violence: 73 homes
    • housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness: 957 homes

Learn More:
A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is 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/

Metro Vancouver Housing is one of the largest non-profit housing providers in the region, currently providing safe and affordable housing for over 9,400 people at 49 sites. For more information, visit: http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/housing/Pages/default.aspx

A backgrounder follows.

Contacts:

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Media Relations
778 584-1255

BC Housing
media@bchousing.org

Don Bradley
Metro Vancouver Regional District
don.bradley@metrovancouver.org
604 788-2821

 

BACKGROUNDER

Province building new homes to meet full spectrum of housing needs

The B.C. government is working in partnership with non-profits, municipalities, First Nations, Indigenous housing organizations and the private sector to build 114,000 affordable homes that cover the full spectrum of housing needs for British Columbians by 2028.

Budget 2018 included a $7-billion investment in the homes people need. As a result of that investment, more than 23,000 new homes are completed, under construction or in the approvals process for a range of people who are struggling to find a place to live, from people who are experiencing homelessness and seniors on fixed incomes, to middle-income families, students and individuals. As of Dec. 31, 2019, this includes:

Housing for people with middle incomes

The average annual household income qualifying for homes underway is under $99,000 per year:

  • HousingHub: 2,802 homes

Housing for people with low to moderate incomes

This includes people residing in social housing (household incomes less than $65,000) as well as those living in affordable market rentals (households with annual incomes up to $74,000) – 9,837 homes:

Affordable market:

  • Building BC: Community Housing Fund (30% of units in each project): 1,565 rental homes for people with low to moderate incomes
  • Affordable Rental Housing Program: 1,615 homes for people with low to moderate incomes
  • Deepening Affordability Fund: 1,976 homes for people with low to moderate incomes
  • Regional Housing First Program: 907 homes for people with low to moderate incomes

Social housing or subsidized rents:

  • Building BC: Community Housing Fund (50% of units in each project): 2,609 rental homes for people with low incomes
  • Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund: 1,165 homes for Indigenous peoples, on- and off- reserve

Housing for people with very low incomes

Rental housing for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, or for people with very low incomes (includes supportive housing and shelter-rate housing) – 4,795 homes:

  • Rapid Response to Homelessness: 2,012 homes with 24/7 support
  • Building BC: Supportive Housing Fund: 1,060 homes with 24/7 support
  • Building BC: Women’s Transition Housing Fund: 679 spaces of transition, second-stage and affordable rental housing for women and children leaving violence
  • Building BC: Community Housing Fund (20% of units in each project): 1,044 homes

Housing for students – 5,584 homes:

  • BC Student Housing Loan Program: 2,699 on-campus student housing units are under construction, in development or in the approvals process
  • 2,885 student housing units are also completed, under construction or in development through partnerships with post-secondary institutions

Total: 23,018 homes

Media Contacts:

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
778 584-2433

BC Housing
media@bchousing.org