A project spearheaded by the Pender Harbour Seniors Housing Society is one of 68 that will share in $516 million in provincial funding.
Premier Christy Clark and Housing Minister Rich Coleman made the announcement Tuesday.
The Pender Harbour Seniors Housing Society applied for $2.75 million from the province, but details are still being finalized and BC Housing said it can’t yet confirm an exact dollar figure.
Society vice chair Mike Carson said this week’s announcement puts them in a position to break ground at Lily Lake Place in early 2017 after more than two decades of planning and raising money.
It will be built on land in the Lily Lake Homes strata development that was donated to the society as part of an agreement between the developer and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
The drive to get a non-profit seniors housing complex for Pender Harbour dates back to the Area A Seniors Housing Project in the ’90s.
“The Society has been working at this for many years. They’ve run into a few roadblocks over time, but this is a real breakthrough,” said Frank Mauro, the SCRD director for the area. “It’s great news for Pender Harbour, and it’s really needed.”
According to the Society’s new website (phseniors.weebly.com), Lily Lake Place will have 14 rental apartments, which will be “the finest affordable seniors housing available on the Coast,” and they’re hoping to attract local seniors who need to downsize from their homes but still want to stay in the Pender Harbour area.
The projects announced this week are all aimed at providing housing for low- to moderate-income renters, seniors, youth, adults with developmental disabilities, Aboriginal people and women and children. Roughly half the 2,900 units will be in the Lower Mainland.
The province also claims the projects will create 5,500 new jobs.
