A new affordable housing project in Chilliwack has taken another step forward, with a groundbreaking ceremony taking place for the 80-unit development at 45603 Yale Rd.

Once complete, the Urban Village will provide low-income families and youth at risk of homelessness with a safe, affordable place to stay in the community.

Mamele'awt Qweesome and To'o Housing Society will operate the housing development. Their goal for the project is to create a diverse community that provides affordable rental housing for people in need.

The B.C. government is providing $11 million in capital funding for the project. This follows the September 2016 announcement of a $500-million investment in affordable rental housing to create 2,900 new units of affordable housing, the largest housing investment in a single year by any province in Canada.

The project is expected to be complete by spring 2019.

Quotes:

John Martin, MLA for Chilliwack –

"Our government remains committed to partnering with local organizations like Mamele'awt Qweesome and To'o Housing Society to provide affordable housing options to those in our communities who need it most."

Laurie Throness, MLA for Chilliwack-Hope –

“The location of these units will allow people to remain in their local community and provide a place for them to live, work and send their children to school. This is an inclusive project that will welcome families and youth from a wide range of needs and circumstances.”

Mayor Sharon Gaetz, City of Chilliwack –

“Chilliwack’s Homelessness Action Plan details a need for affordable housing in our city and we would like to thank Mamele’awt Qweesome Housing Society for working to help make this a reality for those who need it most. This project is located in a beautiful setting, close to transportation and community amenities, and demonstrates what can happen when a community works together.”

Margaret Pfoh, CEO, Mamele’awt Qweesome and To'o Housing Society –

“This has been a long-time in the making and we are incredibly thrilled that today we were able to break-ground.  This new development will help address the challenges associated with affordable housing, and we are especially thankful to the Province of British Columbia for entrusting us with this important task. For close to 30 years MQHS has been helping provide affordable housing and we look forward to continuing our work.”

Quick Facts:

• Since 2001, the B.C. government has invested $4.9 billion to provide affordable housing for low income individuals, seniors and families.
• More than 104,000 B.C. households benefit from a diverse range of provincial housing programs and services.
• Last year, the Province invested more than $7 million to provide subsidized housing and rent supplements for close to 1,400 households in Chilliwack.

Learn More:

To learn more about the Province's actions on housing affordability, visit: http://housingaction.gov.bc.ca/

Mamele’awt Qweesome Housing Society: http://www.mqhs.ca/

Follow BC Housing on Twitter: @BC_Housing (twitter.com)