BC Gov News

Seniors and people living with disabilities in Elkford will soon have access to 25 affordable rental homes with construction underway on a new development.

“These accessible and adaptable homes will allow seniors and people living with disabilities to live comfortably and independently, close to friends and family,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Housing. “Through our Homes for People action plan, we’re delivering thousands of homes across the province that meet the diverse needs of renters, and more are on the way.”

The four-storey building at 214 Alpine Way will contain 25 one-bedroom units, all of which will be accessible or adaptable to accommodate residents’ current and changing accessibility needs. The project will also include ground-mounted solar panels to help produce additional power.

“This project is going to help get homes built for seniors in Elkford that they can afford and create options for those with disabilities, so they can live in the community they call home,” said Sean Fraser, federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

The project is the result of a partnership between federal and provincial governments, the Regional District of East Kootenay, the District of Elkford, the Columbia Basin Trust, Teck Coal Limited (Teck) and the Elkford Housing Society, which will operate the building.

The site is located within one kilometre of the downtown core and essential services, including a grocery store, pharmacy, park and library, as well as the Elkford Medical Centre. Construction of the new homes is expected to be complete in 2025.

The project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 78,000 new homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 900 affordable homes in the Kootenay Boundary, and Central and East Kootenay regions.

Quick Facts:

• The Province, through BC Housing, provided approximately $2.8 million to the project from the Building BC: Community Housing Fund.
• The federal government provided $12.7 million through the Affordable Housing Fund.
• The Canada-British Columbia Bilateral Agreement provided $975,000 in joint funding under the National Housing Strategy.
• The Columbia Basin Trust provided approximately $670,000.
• The Regional District of East Kootenay provided approximately $500,000.
• The District of Elkford provided approximately $200,000 in in-kind assistance.
• Teck provided $1 million, as well as an in-kind land donation, valued at approximately $400,000.

Learn More:

To learn about B.C.’s 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 people in British Columbia, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/

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

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

A backgrounder follows.