By Dominic Abassi

Nanaimo gets never before seen investment in affordable housing

Nov 25, 2016 | 1:32 PM

NANAIMO — Nearly $20-million of B.C. government money is coming to Nanaimo to create at least 153 units of affordable rental housing.

Earlier this week the province unveiled details about which projects will be receiving a piece of $516-million worth of funding to create close to 2,900 new units of affordable housing around B.C.

Four Nanaimo projects received funding, including $8.5-million for a Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society (NAHS) proposal to add 50 rental apartment units for seniors to their existing Buttertubs Drive project.

“It’s huge. We’ve never had all at one time that amount of input in the community,” said NAHS executive director Jim Spinelli. “This is the first time we’ve ever seen that number of units at one time…it’s going to keep the construction industry busy for the next while in Nanaimo.”

Spinelli says the additional 50 units will go on some undeveloped land they have in the Buttertubs Drive area and will add to the 80 patio homes for seniors they have there now. He says over time they would like to build up to 140 units in the area, noting the need locally is huge and will continue to grow.

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“There have been studies that show in the next 10 years we’ll need 800 units of seniors rental housing in Nanaimo…that’s just for our community. This is still just a drop in the bucket but it’s great news to see all this funding at one time.”

Spinelli says their new project is in the design phase already. He expects ground could be broken next summer, with a typical construction time of about a year to 18 months.

Also approved for Nanaimo was $1.7-million for a 22-unit project by the Vancouver Island Mental Health Society (VIMHS) on Rosehill Street. That will be geared towards people who are at risk of being homeless. While it’s not a prerequisite that those people have mental health or addictions issues, 70 to 80 per cent of people at risk of being homeless do, according to VIMHS executive director Barnabas Walther.

“The life span of an individual who is at risk of being homeless or is homeless is up to 20 years shorter than people who have homes. So it has a significant impact on the quality of life,” said Walther.

Walther says there’s a very high correlation between mental healthiness and having a home, which is why their group felt it was so important to begin working on creating more affordable housing. He says this addition of units will begin to address the need, but more needs to be done.

“When we opened the Boundary project in April, in one week our 41 units were full. We now have a wait list of over 100 people. So this 22 bed one we’re going to open up is not going to be able to satisfy all those people.”

Walther says it will likely be towards the end of 2017 when they start construction.

While both Walther and Spinelli referenced a need for housing beyond what local groups can provide at this point, both expressed optimism looking towards the future.

“This is some momentum we’re hoping will continue,” said Spinelli. “As opposed to a one-time shot, we might see an infusion of funds on an annual basis. There’s also been promises of federal money.”

Spinelli says housing affordability has become one of the hottest topics all across Canada and they’re expecting governments will respond to that. He says the BC Affordable Housing Conference in Richmond this past week was buzzing with the announcements from the province.

A project to create 55 units for low-income seniors on Prideaux Street by Mount Benson Senior Citizens Housing Society received $5.5-million, while $2.5-million will go towards a 26 unit project on Uplands Drive by Nanaimo Association for Community Living aimed at adults with developmental disabilities.