The Province will fund a new Habitat for Humanity project in Grand Forks that will provide seven affordable homes for men with developmental disabilities.

The provincial contribution of $242,016 was made available through the January 2011 sale of Hardy View Lodge, a vacant building that was owned by the Province.

Habitat for Humanity will use the funds to build a new two-storey wood-frame building at 833 - 72nd Ave. It will be designed and constructed to Built Green Gold standards.

The new building will contain seven stratified one- and two-bedroom apartments for mid- to high-functioning adult single men with developmental disabilities. Selected future residents are expected to put in a minimum of 500 volunteer hours by participating in all phases of the construction of their homes. Once complete, Habitat for Humanity will sell the apartments to the selected residents at a fair market value.

In addition to the provincial contribution, the Government of Canada has provided a $10,000 SEED Funding Grant and a $10,000 SEED Funding Loan through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for this project. The City of Grand Forks provided the land, valued at approximately $61,100 and waived development and servicing fees of approximately $12,000. Habitat for Humanity Boundary will provide more than $500,000 in donated equity, goods and labour.

Construction is expected to be complete by summer 2012.

Quotes:

Mayor Brian Taylor, City of

"It's the goal of our council to ensure that Grand Forks is a great place to live for all residents - including those who face challenges such as developmental disabilities. It's wonderful to see all partners come together to make this project a reality in our community."

Rick Friesen, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Boundary -

"Our vision is to provide a safe and decent place for everyone to live and we cannot do this alone. It takes the collaboration of community members and governments to help us create projects like our multiplex at 833 72nd Avenue. I look forward to the completion of these new homes that will make a huge difference for seven individuals and their families."

Quick Facts:

• Over the last decade, the Province has invested $2.8 billion to provide affordable housing for low income individuals, seniors and families.
• This year, more than 95,000 B.C. households will benefit from provincial social housing programs and services.
• The Boundary affiliate of Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, charitable organization incorporated in 1996. The society is governed by a volunteer board of directors and managed by a part-time executive director.
• Since its incorporation, the society has built seven houses for low-income families: five single family dwellings and one duplex. Habitat for Humanity Boundary has received three awards for producing the most new builds per capita in the country (one to two homes per year per 10,000 population).
• By way of comparison, Vancouver would need to build more than 200 homes per year to match this level of productivity.

Learn More:

To learn more about provincial programs and services to address homelessness, visit: www.bchousing.org/Initiatives/Creating/PHI

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity and the Grand Forks project, visit: www.habitatboundary.com.

Contact:

Rhonda Nguyen
BC Housing
604 439-4740