By David F. Rooney
With clearance already begun on the site of its affordable housing project, the Revelstoke Community Housing Society is looking forward to a pretty good year, Society Chairmsan Mark McKee said at its Annual General Meeting on Monday, June 1.
“Now we’re waiting on approval from senior levels of government,” he said. “Gosh darn it! We’re going to get this thing done.”
After a year of delays the society finally received its building permit last month and has sent reams of paperwork to BC Housing.
The $3,220,289 million project will see construction by Kelowna-based BPR Construction Ltd. of 12 affordable townhouse-style rental units — four single bedroom units of 618 square feet and eight doubles of 1,005 square feet. $1,490,000 comes from BC Housing and the Columbia Basin Trust, $192,000 comes from the City’s Affordable Housing Fund, $376,215 is City land equity, $57,301 comes from fee exemptions and waivers, $50,000 comes from the CBT’s Community Initiatives Program, $155,000 comes from the society’s equity and $899,571 is coming from financing.
Rents are set at $650 for a single and $850 for a double. This is about $100 a month more than originally projected. McKee said last year’s delays at City Hall increased the project’s overall cost. The society has been cutting costs where it can and hopes it will be able to reduce the rent. One single and one double will be Rent Geared for Income units.
So who will get to live in the development on Oscar Street? Well, it certainly won’t be ski bums or out-of-towners looking for a relatively cheap place to live. Tenants must have been Revelstoke residents for at least one year. Their annual income must be less than $65,000 and they cannot have combined assets of more than $60,000. Tenants eligible for the Rental Assistance Program will be encouraged to apply for monthly rent subsidies
McKee was re-elected as society chairman, with Glen O’Reilly re-elected as vice-chairman and Councillor Linda Nixon elected to sit as treasurer.
Please click here to see a presentation in PDF format that contains just about everything you’d want to know about the society’s 12-unit affordable rental housing project.
