The location of the new development on Wale Road.
Construction on 124 affordable rental homes for Indigenous individuals and families in Colwood is set to start this summer due to a partnership between the provincial government, the Aboriginal Land Trust Society (ALT), Huu-ay-aht First Nations and the City of Colwood.
The new building will be built at 342 Wale Road. The provincial government will be investing approximately $24.8 million in capital funding for the project through the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund.
A model of the new development on Wale Road.
It is part of the first series of projects to receive funding through the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund, a 10-year, $550-million investment to build and operate 1,750 new units of social housing, on- and off-reserve in B.C.
Colwood Mayor Rob Martin speaks during the announcement of the new Wale Road development on Feb. 4, 2019. Martin said the homes will enhance the diversity of housing in Colwood, create local jobs and add a new vibrancy to the city.
“We know from our intensive work to address long-standing housing issues in B.C. that the struggle to find a good home can be even greater for Indigenous peoples who are overwhelmingly over-represented among people in B.C. experiencing homelessness,” Mitzi Dean, MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin, said.
“That’s why we are partnering with Indigenous organizations and municipalities throughout the province to build the homes that Indigenous families need in our community and at prices they can afford.”
The Aboriginal Land Trust Society will be working with Yellowridge Construction to develop the building. The society will also be working with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations for tenant selection and ongoing management of the new affordable housing project.
“I am very proud to give our support for this project,” Chief Robert Dennis of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations said. “This project is desperately needed to address the affordable housing challenges facing Indigenous families in the area. This is an opportunity for all of us to work together to make things better for the less fortunate in B.C.”
The location of the new development on Wale Road.
The location of the new development on Wale Road.
CHEK News
