People with disabilities and low-income families will find affordable housing in a new project in downtown New Westminster.
City council has rezoned 43 Hastings St., paving the way for construction of a two-storey building with three units on the ground floor and three units on the second floor. In 2015, the city requested affordable housing proposals for the city-owned site and selected a project submitted by the Community Living Society, in partnership with Catalyst Community Developments Society.
“While it’s not an easy site to build on – it’s quite sloped – we have ended up with what has been described as a very handsome building, which I think is going to improve the neighbourhood in which it will be situated and also provide housing for people with disabilities on the ground floor and families above,” said Ross Chilton, CEO of the Community Living Society.
Mayor Jonathan Cote thinks the project is a creative way for New Westminster to attract affordable, non-market housing units to the community. In addition to the Hastings Street property, the city also made land available on Ewen Avenue in Queensborough for an affordable housing project.
“I think we are very fortunate, both on our property in Queensborough on Ewen Avenue and in downtown New West on this particular property, to get some really interesting proposals to put forward to utilize the city-owned land. I’m very happy to finally see this moving forward. We have been working on these projects for over two years. To get to this stage in the development process is critically important,” Cote said. “I think, although a very small affordable housing project, it’s an extra tool that cities do have available to them to help with housing in our community.”
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said the projects show that cities can not only talk about affordable housing, but initiate projects, like the New Westminster has done through its task force on affordable housing. He said provincial and federal governments need to step up to the plate and support cities on issues related to affordable housing.
“I think the city is being very proactive, with the task force on affordable housing. It’s been a really strong initiative,” he said. “This project is the first step.”
