A former motel site will soon make way for 47 new affordable homes for seniors, adults with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness in Nelson.

“To do well in life, people need a place to call home, and we are making sure that more people in our community have that today,” said Michelle Mungall, MLA for Nelson-Creston. “These new homes will provide safe, secure and affordable housing for people in our community. Our government would like to thank our community partners who have worked so hard to make this project possible.”

The new four-storey building, Lakeside Place, will bring 42 affordable housing units for seniors and adults with disabilities and another five units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The building will have laundry facilities, an amenity room with a residential kitchen and office space for Nelson CARES Society Kootenay Seniors program. The site, located at 805 Nelson Ave., formerly housed a 20-unit motel, which was demolished in 2018.

In partnership with the City of Nelson, a large outdoor space is proposed on the east side of the building, providing outdoor space for residents and the larger community.

“I would like to thank Nelson CARES, the Province of British Columbia and Columbia Basin Trust for bringing this much-needed project to our community,” said John Dooley, mayor, City of Nelson. “Nelson has experienced a near 0% vacancy rate for several years, and we are hopeful that projects such as this will free up housing units in our community, while providing affordable accommodation for our seniors and persons living with disabilities.”

Nelson CARES Society provided the land for the project and will own and operate the building once it is complete. The society also operates an adjacent eight-unit building to serve people at risk of homelessness and will connect residents at both sites to supports in the community.

The Province provided $8.6 million for the project, as well as construction financing. Columbia Basin Trust provided a grant of $200,000 for the development of the project.

“I am very pleased that Columbia Basin Trust continues to support residents of the basin with their housing needs,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development and Minister Responsible for Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia River Treaty and Columbia Power Corporation. “Communities and agencies are able to work in partnership with the trust to access capital grants, proposal development support and funding through their housing programs to help support people so that they can stay in their communities.”

Construction began in September 2019 and is scheduled to be completed by late 2020.

Delivering affordable housing is a shared priority between government and the BC Green Party caucus and is part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

Quotes:

Jenny Robinson, executive director, Nelson CARES Society –

“We are grateful to our funding partners and to see this project underway. This new housing is desperately needed and will bring relief to many in the community.”

Johnny Strilaeff, president and chief executive officer, Columbia Basin Trust –

“One of our priorities is to help people in the Columbia Basin access affordable housing that meets their basic needs. Through strong partnerships, this project will bring more affordable rental housing options to Nelson residents, strengthening the quality of life in the community.”

Quick Facts:

• The project will include 36 one-bedroom, six two-bedroom and five studio units, for a total of 47 homes.
• In addition to these 47 homes, the Province is working in partnership to build nearly 300 new affordable homes in the Kootenays, including:
  • Community Housing Fund: 122 affordable rental homes for individuals, families and seniors
  • Indigenous Housing Fund: 52 units of social housing for Indigenous peoples
  • Women’s Transition Housing Fund: 15 affordable rental housing units for women and children leaving violence
• Oct. 13-19 is Homelessness Action Week, where communities throughout the province participate to increase awareness of homelessness in B.C. and encourage people to get involved with local organizations to find solutions.
• To address the issue of housing affordability for British Columbians, the Province is curbing speculation in B.C.'s housing market and helping build 114,000 affordable market rental, non-profit, supported social housing and owner-purchase housing through partnerships.

Learn More:

A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/

To learn more about Nelson CARES Society, visit: www.nelsoncares.ca

A backgrounder follows.