The BC government announced on Tuesday that the region of Greater Victoria will soon have 530 new affordable homes on the market.
These dedicated rental units are all either open for tenancy now, or will be open for tenancy soon.
The Province has provided around $62 million in funding to BC Housing in order to deliver these 530 homes across five projects.
These five projects are all intended for British Columbians with low to moderate incomes, which includes Indigenous people, seniors, people with disabilities and unhoused people.
“Having access to secure, affordable housing makes a difference in people’s lives,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
“Over 3,500 affordable homes have been opened in Greater Victoria to provide people with a safe foundation to navigate the challenges of everyday life. These newest 530 homes offer greater stability and opportunity for people, including those experiencing homelessness, and will help more families find homes in the community they love.”
The five projects that have either opened, or are opening soon, are as follows:
- Camas House:
- 66 on-reserve homes located at 1504A Admirals Road in Victoria
- Intended for members of the Songhees Nation
- Operated by M’akola Housing Society
- Crosstown:
- 154 homes (100 affordable and 54 supportive homes) located at 584 Burnside Road East in Victoria
- Operated by Victoria Cool Aid Society
- The Ferns:
- 88 homes and 59 child care spaces located at 496/498 Cecilia Road in Victoria
- Homes will be operated by Pacifica Housing while child care spaces are to be managed by Burnside Gorge Community Association
- The Lions:
- 137 homes located at 874 Fleming Street in Esquimalt
- Operated by Greater Victoria Housing Society
- The Woodlands:
- 85 homes located at 3700 Cedar Hill Road in Saanich
- Operated by Dawson Heights Housing Society.
As of this publication, the affordable homes at Crosstown, The Lions and The Ferns are open, and individuals have already started moving into their new homes.
The Province says that Camas House, The Woodlands and the 54 supportive homes at Crosstown are expected to open in the near future.
These affordable units have already started making a difference in the people’s lives who have begun to move in.
“I am a single mother of a teenager with disability, and I was looking for a new place that is not too far from Esquimalt High School where my child attends,” said T.B., a resident of The Lions at Fleming.
“My apartment is beautiful and everything I could have asked for. I love that it is within walking distance to the high school for my child, and he does not have to rely on the bus, which has always made me a bit nervous.”
Currently, in an effort to combat the ongoing housing crisis, nearly 92,000 homes have been delivered or are underway in BC, with over 7,200 homes in Greater Victoria.
