Low- to moderate-income families will benefit from 24 much-needed new affordable rental homes in the community.

“We are working with partners to deliver affordable housing on Salt Spring Island and throughout the province, so people can stay in the communities they choose to call home,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “I would like to thank Salt Spring Community Services and the local community for working with us to create these homes that meet people’s needs.”

Salt Spring Island Community Services is receiving $2.4 million from the Province’s Building BC: Community Housing Fund to build the Salt Spring Commons, located at 176 Bishops Walk Rd. The project will include two- and three-bedroom units within eight triplex buildings. Projected monthly rental rates will range between $570 for two-bedroom units and $1,475 for three-bedroom units.

“Housing security for British Columbians is a priority the BC Green Party caucus shares with the provincial government,” said Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and member of the Rental Housing Task Force. “Supporting local communities by offering families affordable rental options is critical for improving the rental system on Salt Spring Island and around the province.”

The project will be built on a two-hectare (five-acre) parcel of land owned by the society. Construction is expected to start in fall 2019.

“This project is a testament to the power of a community pulling together,” said Rob Grant, executive director, Salt Spring Island Community Services. “Local donors, along with the provincial government through BC Housing, have made it possible for us as a housing provider to meet a critical and increasing need for affordable housing on Salt Spring.”

The development is walking distance from the town centre of Ganges, which has a grocery store, community services, parks and a downtown harbour.

“My heartfelt thanks to this provincial government and Minister Robinson, who have included Salt Spring in the most-ambitious affordable housing program in B.C.’s history,” said Gary Holman, Salt Spring Island electoral area director. “I also want to thank Salt Spring Community Services, which has worked so hard for years to bring this project to fruition.”

This project is part of more than 20,000 new homes completed or underway throughout B.C. because of provincial investments, including more than 5,000 homes in mixed-income buildings for people with a range of low, moderate and middle incomes through the Community Housing Fund.

Quick Facts:

• Salt Spring Island Community Services is providing $500,000 and donated the land valued at $720,000. The society has also secured $1 million in private donations.
• Islands Trust will provide $42,000 in municipal fee reductions.
• The Capital Regional District will provide $50,000 in Community Works (gas tax) funding to help fund investments in energy-efficient measures for the project.
• This housing development is part of the first series of projects selected to receive funding through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund, a $1.9-billion investment over 10 years to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes for people with low and middle incomes.
• Projects built under the Community Housing Fund will reflect the following mix of incomes:
  • 30% of the units will be for middle-income households, with annual incomes up to approximately $107,000.
  • 50% of the units will be for a range of low- to moderate-income households with annual incomes below housing income limits, ranging from $21,000 to $96,000. (Housing income limits represent the income needed to pay the average market rent in a specific community.)
  • 20% of the units will be for households with low incomes, which are up to $30,000 annually.

Learn More:

View a map of all announced government-funded housing projects in B.C.: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

For a snapshot of progress on B.C.’s 10-year housing plan, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/

A backgrounder follows.