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 $225M IN HOUSING INVESTMENTS TO CREATE 1,006 NEW HOMESMay 25th, 2010
VANCOUVER – The Province of British Columbia, City
of Vancouver and the Streetohome Foundation are partnering to
provide more than 1,000 new supportive-housing units in Vancouver,
Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
“These new investments will make a significant
difference in improving the lives of more than 1,000 people who are
homeless or at risk of homelessness,” said Premier
Campbell. “I want to thank all the partners who have
come together to improve the lives of people looking for safe and
secure housing.”
The 1,006 new supportive-housing units will be located on eight
sites owned by the City of Vancouver. The Province is providing
$205 million and the Streetohome Foundation is providing $20
million towards construction as part of a new agreement that will
see the foundation raise money from the private sector. The City of
Vancouver provided the eight sites announced today valued at about
$32 million.
“We firmly believe that permanent housing with the
appropriate supports is going to improve the quality of life for
those on the street, or who are at risk of becoming
homeless,” said John McLernon, chair of the Streetohome
Foundation. “This is a major step forward in our goal
to bridge the housing gap in Vancouver, and today we are announcing
the first donation of $5 million from Frank Giustra, Streetohome
Campaign Chair, toward our capital campaign.”
The eight new projects are in addition to six projects
previously announced by the Province and the City that will see 569
new supportive housing apartments. Combined, the 14 sites will
provide 1,575 new units, create more than 2,100 direct jobs and
represent a capital investment of $333.4 million. The City has
contributed 14 parcels of land valued at about $64 million to the
overall project. Construction on the original six sites has already
begun. Construction on the remaining eight sites will begin this
year subject to final municipal approvals.
“This new partnership demonstrates the commitment of
the private sector to join the Province and the City in our
collective effort to build new supportive housing for those who are
homeless,” said Housing and Social Development Minister
Rich Coleman. “A major source of funding for the 14
City-owned sites is the proceeds from the sale and redevelopment of
Little Mountain, so the legacy of Little Mountain not only replaces
all the social housing on that site, but helps to make possible the
creation of more than a thousand new supportive
apartments.”
“Today‟s funding commitment is a huge
step forward for providing some of our most vulnerable citizens
with a safe, permanent place to call home,” said
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. “We‟ve
got a lot of work left to do, but the development of these eight
sites of social housing will move us significantly closer to our
goal of ending street homelessness in Vancouver by
2015.”
Katherine Sanford Housing Society is among the non
profit operators that will manage the housing, along with other non
profits who will provide tenant supports that will make these
supportive housing developments successful.
“Today‟s announcement of secured funding
for sites in Vancouver is very welcome news,” said
Bonnie Rice, executive director for Katherine Sanford Housing
Society. “Providing more housing options in every
neighbourhood will allow individuals requiring supported housing to
remain in their own community.”
Since 2001, the Province has built more than 14,000 new
affordable housing units and another 4,176 are currently planned or
under construction across B.C. In Vancouver, 2,070 new affordable
housing units have been built, with an additional 1,575 to be built
on the 14 sites.
In addition, the Province has purchased 26 single-room occupancy
hotels securing 1,550 rooms for people at risk of being homeless.
Twenty-four of those hotels and approximately 1,400 of those rooms
are located in Vancouver.
In 2010-11, B.C.‟s budget for social housing is
approximately $562 million, more than four times as much as in
2001.
'Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness' is a website providing a
comprehensive and detailed look at provincial programs and services
to address homelessness. Visit
www.bchousing.org/breakingthecycle for
more information.
For more information on the Streetohome Foundation, visit
www.streetohome.org.
BACKGROUNDER $225 IN HOUSING INVESTMENTS TO CREATE 1,006 NEW HOMES The funding for the following eight new supportive housing sites
is in addition to funding for six other sites announced in March,
2009. Construction is underway on all six sites. According to the
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement between the Province
and the City of Vancouver, funding for the City-owned sites will
include half of the net proceeds from the redevelopment of Little
Mountain.
Totals
1,006
apartments
$225
million
1,440 jobs
*Capital Cost excludes value of
municipal land contribution
Six sites currently under construction in Vancouver
Totals
569
apartments
$108.4
million
695 jobs
*Capital Cost excludes value of
municipal land contribution
Provincial Housing Investments in Vancouver Today’s announcement is part of the Province’s significant investment in housing in Vancouver since 2006, as part of the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC. Highlights include: New Supportive Housing
Single Room Occupancy Hotels
Emergency Shelters and Homeless Outreach
Existing Affordable Housing
-30-
Media Contacts:
Susan Thom VP, Corporate Communications BC Housing 604 230-1301 (cell) Bridgitte Anderson Press Secretary Office of the Premier 604 307-7177 Corporate Communications City of Vancouver Media Line 604 871-6336 Nicole Adams Director of Communications and Community Relations Streetohome Foundation 604 629-2711 x505 |
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