Modular units that once provided athletes with accommodations during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have been relocated and converted into 33 new supportive rental apartments in Chilliwack.

The Village, located at 8937 School St. in Chilliwack, was named after Whistler's Olympic Athletes' Village. The four-storey building provides 22 apartments for adults with mental-health barriers and 11 apartments for youth at risk of homelessness. Chilliwack Community Services Society and Creative Centre Society partnered to operate the building and provide onsite support services.

The Province invested $8.3 million, provided the land valued at $1 million, and is also providing $297,406 in annual operational funding. Chilliwack Community Services Society provided $400,000 in equity which went towards offices space for youth services and the City of Chilliwack waived municipal fees estimated at $311,651.

The building also includes office space for staff to provide onsite support for tenants, a community kitchen, dining area, lounge and reception area.

In total, 320 temporary modular housing units from the Olympic and Paralympic Village at Whistler are being converted into 156 permanent, affordable apartments in six communities: Saanich, Chilliwack, Enderby, Sechelt, Surrey and Chetwynd.

Quotes:

Mayor Sharon Gaetz, City of

"Citizens of Chilliwack have been very supportive of this project and it is wonderful to see it complete and open for tenants to move in. The Village will give at-risk adults and youth from this community the opportunity to live independently while getting the help and support they need right on site."

James Challman, executive director of Chilliwack Community Services Society -

"Our society focuses on providing opportunities for people to make positive changes in their lives. The Village is an example of where people with mental-health challenges and youth at risk of homelessness are able to live and share their stories, grow relationships and skills and truly feel like they belong."

Fred Feistmann, board vice-president of Creative Centre Society -

"It is amazing how a person's life can be changed when provided with a safe home where they feel accepted. I know our 22 clients are overjoyed to move into a new home where they can continue to focus on their independence. I would like to extend our appreciation to the Province for providing affordable housing for those with mental-health barriers here in Chilliwack."

Quick Facts:

• Temporary modular units from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games created 156 new affordable housing homes in Enderby, Saanich, Sechelt and Surrey, Chetwynd and Chilliwack.
• 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.
• In 2011-12, the Province will invest over $8 million to provide subsidized housing and rent supplements for more than 1,000 Chilliwack households.
• Established in 1928, Chilliwack Community Services Society is an independent local charity providing opportunities for people to make positive change in their lives.
• Established in 1979, the Creative Centre Society focuses on healthy living and serves clients with mental-health needs in the Fraser Valley. Currently, they operate two clubhouses - Abby House and Cheam View; they have mental-health staff working in Hope, Chilliwack, Mission and Abbotsford and the society also provides independent residential apartments at Nelson Place.

Learn More:

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

To read how the provincial housing strategy is helping British Columbians, visit:

http://www.bchousing.org/Media/Stories

To learn more about Chilliwack Community Services Society, visit: www.comserv.bc.ca

To learn more about Creative Centre Society, visit: www.creativecentresociety.org.

Contact:

Rhonda Nguyen
BC Housing
604 439-4740
604 374-8301 (cell)