Affordable rental homes for seniors, adults with disabilities and families in Saanich are now under construction, thanks to a partnership between the Government of British Columbia and the Capital Region Housing Corporation.

“I’m thrilled to have these homes break ground in Saanich, and by investing in more affordable projects like Westview, our government is working hard so people can live and stay in their communities, close to family and where they work,” said Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South. “These homes are helping support healthy and diverse communities by providing housing for people with mixed incomes and will benefit our region for years to come.”

The Capital Region Housing Corporation (CRHC) is partnering with the Independent Living Housing Society by making five fully accessible ground-floor units available for people who need them, as well as office and gathering space for the society’s programming. The society will select tenants for the five designated accessible units.

“As the largest social housing provider in the region, the CRHC is proud to deliver affordable housing and services to almost 3,000 residents,” said David Screech, chair, Capital Region Housing Corporation. “We are a strong community partner that works collaboratively with stakeholders, other partners and tenants to build safe, vibrant and accessible communities. Westview is providing 73 much-needed additional housing units for seniors, adults with disabilities, working singles and families, and we are humbled to make this contribution to the community.”

Located at 3816 Carey Rd., Westview will provide 73 affordable rental homes for people in Saanich and the Capital Regional District. The four-storey building will contain 11 studio apartments, 38 one-bedroom apartments, 20 two-bedroom apartments and four three-bedroom apartments.

The Capital Regional District provided the land, and the Capital Region Housing Corporation will operate the building. The site is fully excavated, and the foundation will be poured in the coming weeks. Construction is anticipated to be complete early in 2020.

Quick Facts:

• The Province is providing approximately $7.2 million in funding, and construction financing of $8.5 million for the project.
• The Capital Region Housing Corporation provided the land, valued at $4.5 million, and $1 million in cash equity.
• Sixteen of the units will be rented at the provincial shelter rate of $375 per month. Monthly rents for the other units are projected to range from approximately $550 to $1,950.
• Budget 2018 launched the most significant investment in housing affordability in B.C. history, which is more than $7 billion over 10 years.

Learn More:

Read Homes for B.C., government’s 30-point plan to address housing affordability for British Columbians:
http://bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2018/homesbc/2018_Homes_For_BC.pdf

To find out what the Province is doing to improve housing affordability, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/bc-government-addressing-housing-affordability-challenges

To learn more about the Capital Region Housing Corporation, go to: https://www.crd.bc.ca/crhc

Read the Capital Region Housing Corporation Report:
https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/housing-pdf/2017crhcannualreport-v3-0-web.pdf

A backgrounder follows.