The province has announced details about its partnership on 62 affordable seniors’ apartments being built in Nanaimo’s hospital district.
The B.C. government, City of Nanaimo, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation are contributing to the Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society project at 1125 Seafield Cres.
The property’s Sunfield Manor, a five-storey building, will have 54 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom apartments. The project is part of a phased development on the land.
According to a press release from the provincial government, half the units at Sunfield Manor will be geared to income with rent set at 30 per cent of the tenant’s income. Some units will be rented to tenants “with very low income,” for example those on disability assistance, and other units will be rented at or below market rates.
“We have been working on this project for some four years, with a goal of replacing our existing 30-unit building and increasing the availability of low-cost seniors housing,” said Eric Kutzner, director with Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society, in the press release. “We are looking forward to the start of construction and are thankful for B.C. Housing and CMHC for their support.”
The province is granting approximately $6.6 million and will provide $268,000 annually in operating funding. The city has waived $189,000 in development fees and CMHC has contributed $30,000.
“There’s an urgent affordable housing need for seniors and people living with disabilities in Nanaimo, despite the thousand-plus homes we have opened or are underway,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo MLA, in the release.
It’s anticipated that tenants will be able to start moving into the new building sometime in the summer of 2023.
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