Affordable homes open for families, seniors in Trail

Trail Friday, May 28, 2021 1:00 PM

Families, seniors and people with disabilities in Trail are moving into homes they can afford, with a nine-unit apartment building opening in the community.Located on provincially owned land at 1232 Columbia Ave., Columbia Park provides studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for people with moderate and low incomes.Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society is operating the three-storey building. Monthly rents range from $375 to $1,050, depending on unit size and tenant income.Funding for the project was provided by the following:

The Province provided a $900,000 grant through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund for the project.
The federal government, through the Canada and Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), provided a Federal Bilateral Canada Community Housing Initiative grant of approximately $400,000.
The Columbia Basin Trust provided a grant of approximately $115,000.
Teck Trail Operations contributed a donation of $15,000.
Kootenay Savings Credit Union provided $10,000.

The site is located in east Trail, within walking distance of many community services.

Residents started moving into their new homes on May 28, 2021.

Quick Facts:

To help more Canadians access affordable housing that meets their needs, the Government of Canada launched the National Housing Strategy – a 10-year, more-than-$55-billion program designed to build 125,000 new affordable housing units, repair 300,000 others and reduce chronic homelessness by 50%.
The Community Housing Fund is part of the Province’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan.
- It is an investment of $1.9 billion to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes for low- and moderate-income families and individuals over 10 years.
- More than 6,100 of these homes are already open, under construction or in development.
The Community Housing Fund supports mixed-income buildings where 50% of the units are for households with annual incomes up to $64,000, 30% of the units are for households with incomes up to approximately $74,000 and 20% of the units are for households with very low incomes (including those on income or disability assistance).
The Province is working in partnership to increase the supply of affordable homes in the Kootenays for people at a range of income levels. Including this new project, there are 560 homes completed or underway.

Learn More:

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, visit: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit: www.placetocallhome.ca

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/

A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

A backgrounder follows.

What people are saying about Columbia Park

Ahmed Hussen, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development –

“Our government is working hard to ensure every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. That’s why we are providing a $400,000 grant through our bilateral agreement with British Columbia to help bring this project to reality and help provide homes for families, seniors and those with disabilities in Trail. This is our government’s National Housing Strategy at work.”

Patrick Weiler, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country –

“Improving housing conditions for the most vulnerable among us is a core element of our government’s National Housing Strategy. For communities across British Columbia, including Trail, these are life-changing investments for residents who will soon have a new place to call home that is affordable and meets their needs. Together with our partners in the province, we are building a generation of new, permanent housing that we can all be proud of.”

David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing –

“This project is part of work to make sure people have access to quality, affordable homes in communities like Trail and other cities across the province. I am very grateful to the federal government, the City of Trail, the Columbia Basin Trust and our many local partners for helping us build these homes.”

Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West –

“I know how much affordable homes like these are needed in communities throughout the Kootenays. This nine-unit development will provide security and peace of mind for families, seniors and people with disabilities in Trail. We are proud to be working in partnership to build homes like these for people throughout the province.”

Johnny Strilaeff, president and CEO, Columbia Basin Trust –

“What an incredible day for families, persons with disabilities and seniors getting ready to move into the nine new homes in Columbia Park. Congratulations to the Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society, and all the partners, for increasing the housing options in Trail. The trust recognizes that affordable housing continues to be a priority across the region and is committed to supporting communities to meet their diverse needs.”

Lisa Pasin, mayor, City of Trail –

“We are very grateful to the Province and the Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society for their contributions to this project. Affordable rental housing is much needed in our city, and we are very pleased to see the completion of Columbia Park. This is a step in the right direction to help accommodate those who are struggling to find long-term housing solutions.”

Jan Morton, board president, Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society –

“The board of the Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society is very excited to be adding this building to its portfolio of affordable rental housing units. It is heart warming know that more people in our community have access to safe, attractive and energy-efficient housing that is within their household means.”

This on BC Govt website go to the link here

Affordable homes open for families, seniors in Trail

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