A new Indigenous affordable-housing project with 170 below-market rental units in two buildings has opened in Sooke.
The development is the largest expansion of affordable housing in the district in its history, Langford Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar said at the official opening of the Drennan Street complex on Monday.
Units in the five-storey wood-frame buildings are a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. The project also features a communal gathering space, accessible parking spaces, gardening opportunities and a playground.
A total of 34 units are dedicated for tenants with very low incomes and rented for $500 a month, to make them affordable for people receiving social assistance, those with disabilities or those on a basic senior’s pension. The rest of the units will be rented at below-market rates.
The M’akola Housing society owns and operates the property, where the first tenants have started to move in.
“The availability of Indigenous affordable housing is crucial for the well-being of families and communities as it provides a sense of security and stability, which is essential for people and communities to thrive,” society chief executive Kevin Albers said in a statement.
The project was a partnership between local, provincial and federal governments through the regional housing first program, said Colin Plant, chair of the Capital Regional District.
B.C. Housing put in $22.2 million while the federal government contributed $6.9 million through its affordable housing fund, part of the $82-billion national housing strategy.
M’akola Housing Society provided $1.5 million in equity and the Capital Regional District provided $765,000 through its regional housing trust fund.
The provincial funding is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the province. Since 2017, the province has seen close to 78,000 new homes delivered or underway, including more than 275 affordable homes in Sooke, it said.
