The Ministry of Natural Gas Development is addressing Prince George’s affordable housing issue with a $5.1 million donation today.
$3.5 million is going to the Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George to fund construction on 27 new rentals homes at 1811 Spruce Street. These will be for low-income seniors, especially Elders of Aboriginal ancestry.
Society Executive Director Christos Vardacostas says addressing the affordable housing issue “definitely needed to happen,” but there’s still work to be done.
“Our biggest reflection is our own waiting list which ends up being in the neighbourhood of 400 or 500 individuals … those individuals represent families, so it’s generally acknowledged that we probably have more in the neighborhood of 2000 or more people that actually need housing, that are essentially asking us for housing.”
Vardacostas adds these are just the number of individual the society sees, and the local problem is actually worse.
The other $1.6 million will help the Elizabeth Fry Society build 35 homes for low- to moderate-income families at 2744 and 2820 – 2880 15th Avenue.
After a long application and planning process, Elizabeth Fry Society Executive Director Kathi Heim says the announcement is a sigh of relief.
“It’s been 16 years since there’s been any new, affordable housing from a non-profit organisation in the city of Prince George, so we’re delighted to be adding to the stock of affordable housing.”
According to Heim, the last non-profit, family-targetted affordable housing facility built in the city was actually Elizabeth Fry’s Rainbow Village complex, built back in 2000.
The Province announced in September it would invest $500-million into fixing BC’s affordable housing issue.
BC Housing will work with the two societies on project plans, rezoning applications, and consultation before construction begins. Both societies hope to break ground in the spring.