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VICTORIA – The Pacifica Housing Advisory Association (PHAA) has been selected to redevelop and manage supportive housing at 950 Humboldt St., Minister responsible for Housing Rich Coleman announced today.
“Pacifica has the skills and experience
needed to deliver enhanced housing and support services to homeless people in
Victoria,” said Coleman. “The Province is funding pre-construction costs of
this development and is arranging capital and operating financing so that it
can be completed quickly and people can move in as soon as possible.”
The redevelopment is part of the
January 2008 memorandum of understanding between the Province and the City of
Victoria to expedite more than 170 new and upgraded housing units to reduce
homelessness. The Humboldt
Street redevelopment is planned to have 53 self-contained studio and
one-bedroom units of supportive housing. The Province will lease the
site to PHAA for a nominal fee for a period of 60 years. The City will continue
to exempt the site from property taxes as long as it continues to provide
housing and services for people who would otherwise be homeless.
“At the Humboldt Street
redevelopment, Pacifica will provide safe affordable housing and meaningful
client-centred supports that improve the quality of life for the client,” said
Karyn French, executive director of Pacifica Housing Advisory Association. “Combining housing with on-site
support services helps people who are hardest to house stay housed by helping
them face their challenges and integrating them back into their community.”
PHAA is a non-profit society that owns and manages over 550 units of affordable housing for low-income families and people with disabilities in the Greater Victoria and Nanaimo regions. PHAA also offers housing outreach and support services for individuals who are considered hard to house or at risk of homelessness. The selection of PHAA is the result of an expressions-of-interest call for proposals that was issued in February.
Public consultation, consistent with the City of Victoria’s established policies and practices for development permit applications, will occur. The site currently contains 14 units of ageing housing that were built in the 1950s. All of the current tenants have been offered alternate subsidized housing.
The Province has signed memoranda of understanding with the cities of Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna and Surrey to expedite the development of more than 1,500 units of housing in those communities. Budget 2008 increased the amount the Province invests in affordable housing and shelters to more than $380 million a year, more than three times as much as in 2001.
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contact: |
Senior Communications Specialist BC Housing 604 314-1458 |
Executive Director Pacifica Housing Advisory Association 250 385-2131 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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