Summary:

• 56 new long-term, affordable homes for women and children leaving violence
• 37 new affordable child care spaces available at YWCA Cindy Beedie Place
• Project is funded by the Province through B.C. Housing’s Women’s Transition Housing Fund, partners

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Women and children leaving violence now have access to 56 new long-term, affordable homes and 37 new child care spaces with the opening of YWCA Cindy Beedie Place in Burnaby.

“Having secure housing and affordable child care changes everything for women and their children leaving violence,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “These new homes and child care spaces will give them the stability they need to rebuild their lives. This will help them take the first step towards dignity, safety and hope for the future.”

YWCA Cindy Beedie Place is a four-storey building with 41 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom homes, each with a bathroom, kitchen and dining area. Eleven of the homes are adaptable and accessible for people with mobility and other physical-accessibility requirements.

The building includes an attached child care centre, partially funded by Cindy Beedie, a philanthropist, and an anonymous donor, as well as additional funding through ChildCareBC’s New Spaces Fund. The YWCA Metro Vancouver will operate the housing and child care facility.

“YWCA Cindy Beedie Place is extremely unique in that not only does it offer deeply affordable housing for single mothers and their children leaving violent situations, it also includes an on-site child care facility,” Beedie said. “I deeply appreciate the years of incredible commitment, co-operation and generosity from the three levels of government involved, as well as the YWCA, in bringing this vision to life.”

The building features an amenity room, a communal kitchen, a residential courtyard and a children’s play area. Residents will be a five-minute walk to Douglas Road Elementary school and will be living directly on the frequent 123 bus route connecting to Brentwood and New Westminster.

“These new child care spaces will be a game changer for the families and women living at Cindy Beedie Place,” said Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care. “Knowing their children will have a safe, nurturing place to play and learn will empower these mothers to pursue their dreams and build brighter futures for their families. We know investing in child care strengthens our economy and builds a more resilient, prosperous future for all British Columbians.”

The project is a partnership between:

• the Province, through BC Housing
• the City of Burnaby
• YWCA Metro Vancouver
• Cindy Beedie

The Province is providing approximately $40 million through the Women’s Transition Housing Fund for the project and more than $4 million through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to create the 37 child care spaces.

This project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has more than 93,600 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including almost 4,900 homes in Burnaby.

The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. British Columbia and the federal government signed an extension to the agreement for 2026-27 until 2030-31.

Quotes:

Anna Gainey, Canada’​s Secretary of State for Children and Youth –

“Cindy Beedie Place is delivering child care that is within reach for families and opportunity for children to learn and grow. The Government of Canada is proud to partner with the Province of British Columbia to ensure parents receive the support they need through the creation of new child care spaces.” 

Anne Kang, MLA for Burnaby Centre –

“Safe housing and affordable child care give families in our communities a chance to start over. Cindy Beedie Place means women and their children leaving violence can stay close to schools, transit and support while rebuilding their lives. This is about creating safety and opportunity, right here in Burnaby.”

Mike Hurley, mayor of Burnaby –

“Cindy Beedie Place will be a pillar of support in our community, where women and their children can feel safe and secure while they build their lives in Burnaby. We’re incredibly proud to be a part of this partnership to deliver affordable housing to those in need in Burnaby.”

Erin Seeley, CEO, YWCA Metro Vancouver –

“Too many families in Metro Vancouver face a deepening housing crisis, and for single mothers, the challenges are even greater. YWCA Cindy Beedie Place shows what’s possible when dedicated government and generous partners come together. We’re thrilled more women and children will have stable housing, quality child care and wraparound supports.”

Learn More:

• To learn how B.C. is working to deliver more homes for people, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/homesforpeople
• To see a map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C., visit: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC
• To learn how BC Housing is helping to build strong, inclusive communities, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/podcast

A backgrounder follows.