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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder |
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder |
VANCOUVER – An investment of $34 million to purchase or lease 15 new properties to create and protect social housing will increase the number of locations acquired by the Province by 50 per cent, bringing the total number to 45, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
“We are taking action now to ensure that
supportive housing is available for those who need it,” said Premier Campbell.
“An acquisition of this size and scope is a major step forward in protecting
and expanding our supply of social housing and helping to break the cycle of
homelessness in communities across the province.”
The Province is investing $34
million to acquire 15 properties, located in 10 communities, which will provide
over 600 units of housing with integrated support services. This acquisition
brings the total number of properties acquired by the Province since 2001 to
protect and create affordable housing to 45, and the total number of units in
those properties to almost 2,030.
The mix of properties includes single-room
occupancy (SRO) hotels, apartments, former care facilities and a therapeutic
community. Nearly half of the units are currently vacant. Occupancy of these
units will take place throughout 2009, as any required renovations are
completed. Some properties already have non-profit operators in place to
provide much-needed support services. For the others, the Province is
identifying experienced non-profit societies to operate the housing and provide
integrated support services.
“These additional units
of supportive housing in Vancouver are another step towards ending homelessness
– my number-one priority and the priority of many people who live in this
community,” said Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson. “This is the first time
funding has been provided to lease SRO hotels, which enables us to respond
quickly to the urgent need for safe, affordable housing and access to
appropriate support services.”
In Vancouver, six SRO hotels are being acquired to protect 341 units of affordable housing – four through outright purchases and two through five-year renewable leases. SRO hotels are an important source of affordable housing, particularly for residents of the Downtown Eastside. Over 140 of these units are vacant and will be ready for occupancy by the spring of 2009.
“These newly acquired
single-room occupancy hotels will become a place of security and new-found hope
for many,” said Jim Chu, chief constable, Vancouver Police Department. “I look
forward to seeing the positive changes in the Downtown Eastside because of the
growing numbers of housing with integrated support services being made
available to the homeless.”
Five of the acquisitions, including the two
leased SRO hotels, are receiving grants from the Housing Endowment Fund (HEF),
which supports innovative housing solutions that address housing needs not
adequately served through existing housing programs. In addition to the leased
SRO hotels, the program is funding Highland Valley, a therapeutic community
near Logan Lake. HEF grants are also supporting a pilot project to create an
affordable manufactured home site at River Run Homes in
The $250-million Housing Endowment Fund was established in the 2007
Provincial Budget. The fund generates investment revenue, which is used to fund
new ideas and support innovative housing solutions that meet the diverse housing
needs of British Columbians.
The balance of the acquisitions are being made
under the umbrella of the Provincial Homelessness Initiative (PHI), launched as
a result of the Premier’s Task Force on Homelessness, Mental Illness and
Addictions. The objective of the PHI is to break the cycle of homelessness
by integrating support services with housing so people may move beyond
temporary shelter to more secure housing, gain greater self-reliance, and
achieve appropriate employment.
The PHI is an important component of the provincial
housing strategy, Housing Matters BC. Increasing the supply of affordable
housing and reducing homelessness are key elements of the strategy. Since 2004,
the province has committed to the creation of more than 4,000 new and upgraded
housing units under PHI.
Through Housing Matters BC, Budget 2008 increased
the amount the Province invests in affordable housing and shelters to more than
$400 million a year, more than three times as much as in 2001.
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contact: |
Press Secretary Office of the Premier 604 307-7177
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Corporate Communications BC Housing 604 230-1301
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City of Vancouver 604 873-7410
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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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