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SURREY – Low- to moderate-income families have greater access to secure affordable housing with the opening of Salamat Housing, a new development serving multicultural families in Surrey.
This project combines contributions from the federal and provincial governments, under the Canada-British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement.
“The Government of Canada is working in partnership with the provincial government and other groups to bring quality affordable housing to the people of British Columbia,” said Hedy Fry, MP for Vancouver Centre. “Successes like Surrey’s Salamat Housing are key to developing strong communities, not just here in B.C., but throughout Canada.”
“A multicultural setting such as this encourages respect for and appreciation of cultural diversity,” said Gulzar Cheema, Minister of State for Mental Health, speaking on behalf of Housing Minister George Abbott. “Salamat Housing shows what can be achieved through partnerships that bring together multiple levels of government, the private sector and the non-profit community.”
Families from diverse cultural backgrounds live in this new 34-unit townhouse development at 12689 – 72nd Ave. Salamat Housing includes two-, three- and four-bedroom units in several buildings and is located in a residential neighbourhood close to transit, schools and shopping, across the street from Kwantlen College.
“The Persian word ‘salam’ means ‘peaceful greetings’ and ‘salamat’ means ‘safe’,” said John Halani, chair of the Salamat Housing Society. “We chose this name because we want to promote peace and ensure people feel safe living in this building and this community. We are very grateful for the federal and provincial governments’ assistance in building the development.”
Under the Canada-British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement, the Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, will contribute $88.7 million over the next five years towards affordable housing in this province. The provincial government, through BC Housing, will provide $29.7 million annually to subsidize the costs of units built under this agreement as part of a larger strategy to provide a range of housing options for vulnerable British Columbians.
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This news release is available at http://www.bchousing.org/ online.
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