Forty-eight affordable rental homes for seniors and Indigenous elders are now in the construction phase in Port Alberni.
The five-storey project is being built at 6151 Russell Pl. and includes 45 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom homes for seniors and elders with low to moderate incomes.
The building will include amenity and laundry rooms, accessible washrooms and a community garden.
“These new homes will help seniors and Indigenous Elders in Port Alberni remain in the community they helped build, where their families and friends surround them,” said Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim.
The province is chipping $5 million into the project and will provide an annual subsidy of $302,235 for operations.
Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said it was another “significant investment into much-needed housing” in the community.
“Access to safe, secure and affordable housing is a basic foundational need on which people build their lives and is essential for us in building a complete and thriving community.”
The Westcoast Native Healthcare Society has provided land for the project, located on the Tsawaayuus campus, and will own and operate the homes.
The homes will be move-in ready in summer 2022.
Jeff Lawrence
