A long-awaited affordable housing project for low-income seniors in Clinton is moving ahead.

The Province will provide up to $2.9 million in funding for a new 10-unit building that will provide safe and affordable housing for independent seniors. Some support services have also been proposed and will be evaluated as part of the project.

BC Housing is working closely with the Clinton and District Assisted Living Society, and School District No. 74 to finalize the site details. The proposed land recently became available following an announcement by the Ministry of Education to demolish a vacant school at 300 Smith Ave., which closed in 2010.

BC Housing will meet with the development team in April to discuss the next steps needed to advance the project.

Quotes:

Rich Coleman, Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing –

“The Province is very supportive of this housing project. We strive to help all British Columbians, not least of which are low-income seniors living in some of our smaller communities. We look forward to providing this new option for seniors to live comfortably and affordably in their community.”

Jackie Tegart, MLA for Fraser-Nicola –

“It's been a pleasure to work with such a hardworking group of people as the members of the Clinton and District Assisted Living Society to bring this project to this stage. They've been dedicated to keeping their seniors close to home, and I've been honoured to help in any way possible.”

Judy Hampton, Chairperson, Clinton and District Assisted Living Society –

“After several years of hard work and lobbying with our Village, MLA, MP, School District No. 74, CMHC, BC Housing, Interior Health Authority and First Nations, we are so excited to have our housing project move forward. It will be a welcome addition to our community, allowing seniors whose families have been here for generations to downsize and get the support they need, without leaving the area they helped to build. We would like to thank everyone who helped to make this project a reality.”

Quick Facts:

• Since 2001, the Province has invested or committed to a total of $6.3 billion to provide affordable housing supply and access for low income individuals, seniors and families.
• This includes new investment commitments of $920 million to support the acquisition, construction and renovation of almost 5,300 housing units across B.C. over the next few years.
• More than 104,000 B.C. households benefit from a diverse range of provincial housing programs and services.
• Last year, the Province invested close to $80 million to provide subsidized housing and rent supplements for close to 15,000 households in the Interior Region.

Learn More:

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

To learn more about services and supports for seniors, please visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/housing-with-support/seniors-supportive-housing

Follow BC Housing on Twitter: @BC_Housing