Families and individuals in Coquitlam now have access to 164 affordable rental homes as people move into Robert Nicklin Place.

“Robert Nicklin Place addresses the urgent need for housing in Coquitlam, including low-income homes for vulnerable renters and homes that are rent-geared to income,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “These are designed to be the kind of sustainable homes that give people stable and affordable housing in a housing crisis adding 164 much-needed units to the rental housing stock. The people who live in these homes will benefit from a wealth of nearby amenities and be part of a thriving community.”

Robert Nicklin Place is a six-storey wood-frame apartment building at 3100 Ozada Ave. and is operated by Affordable Housing Societies (AHS). It has 164 units made up of 65 one-bedroom units, 69 two-bedroom units and 30 three-bedroom units. Tenant priority is for families with low incomes as well as seniors, people living with disabilities and people with low to moderate incomes.

“With these new homes now built, families, seniors and individuals can remain in our community with their family and friends,” said Fin Donnelly, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. “I thank the many project partners for their work on this, including Affordable Housing Societies, the federal government and the City of Coquitlam, for bringing Robert Nicklin Place to our community.”

The Province’s investment will ensure 74 of the units are affordable, of which 16 are deep-subsidy units for households with very low incomes, 36 units will have rent geared to income, and 22 are affordable market-rental units. Tenants will benefit from nearby community amenities such as the Millennium Line Lincoln Station, schools, a child care centre, neighbourhood parks, a public library, a hospital and a community centre. Affordable Housing Societies, the City of Coquitlam and the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) are also contributing to the project, including 90 market units.

“At AHS we are excited to honour Bob Nicklin – one of the great leaders in B.C.’s social housing sector – in such a meaningful way through the opening of this beautiful building, which is going to have a profound impact in the Coquitlam community for generations to come,” said Stephen Bennett, CEO of Affordable Housing Societies.

Robert Nicklin served as CEO of the Affordable Housing Societies for 27 years and made innumerable contributions to social housing in B.C. during that time. He passed away in 2016, and the name Robert Nicklin Place was given to this project as a reflection of his ongoing legacy.

This project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 78,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 1,000 homes in the Tri-Cities of Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody.

Quotes:

Ken Hardie, MP for Fleetwood-Port Kells –

“Today marks an important milestone as we celebrate 164 affordable homes in Coquitlam. This new living environment will allow residents to remain in their community, close to their loved ones. Our government is proud to invest in this project that will improve the quality of life of those who will call it home. By working closely with our partners to create more affordable housing, our government continues to achieve meaningful results for Canadians.”

Richard Stewart, mayor, Coquitlam – 

"The official opening of Robert Nicklin Place highlights Coquitlam’s focused efforts on enabling safe and affordable housing solutions in our community. The city is proud to have contributed $3.3 million from our Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, which is an integral source of funding for much-needed housing projects like this. I’m particularly pleased that the project was named to honour Robert Nicklin, someone I knew and worked with decades ago, someone whose career showed his long dedication to the importance of stable and affordable housing for families.”

George V. Harvie, chair, Metro Vancouver Board of Directors –

“We’re pleased to contribute to the creation of new affordable homes for families and individuals in Coquitlam, both through Metro Vancouver Housing expansion projects, and by supporting partner organizations. In the last five years alone, Metro Vancouver has waived over $20 million in development cost charges for affordable housing initiatives around the region, and we’ll continue to work together to address the region’s housing needs.”

Mandy Kozowy, resident, Robert Nicklin Place –

"I am finally home after years of searching for affordable and accessible housing in the Lower Mainland. I am forever grateful to the Affordable Housing Societies, CMHC, BC Housing and the City of Coquitlam. Robert Nicklin Place has provided me with the foundation to truly thrive and not just survive."

Quick Facts:

• The Province, through BC Housing, committed $8.1 million from the Community Housing Fund toward 74 of the building’s units, and approximately $110,000 in annual operating funding.
• The federal government, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, invested a forgivable loan of $1.9 million, along with a $44.2 million low-interest, repayable loan.
• The City of Coquitlam provided $3.3 million in capital funding.
• Metro Vancouver, Translink and School District 43 waived development cost charges of $579,000, $253,000 and $37,000 respectively.

Learn More:

To learn about B.C.’s new Homes for People action plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

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

For information about Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, visit: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca

To find out about the National Housing Strategy, visit: http://www.placetocallhome.ca