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$84-Million Agreement Signed for Affordable Housing

December 7, 2004

The Government of Canada and the BC Liberal Government are allocating $84 million towards transitional housing and a range of supports to help communities tackle the challenges of homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction.

Premier Gordon Campbell and the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Joe Fontana, Minister of Housing and Labour,announced the second phase of the Canada–British Columbia Affordable Housing Program Agreement. They also announced the first four developments under the new agreement will be in Vancouver, Surrey and Nanaimo. 

The new agreement will see each level of government contribute about $42 million for developments that will provide a continuum of affordable housing with support services to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, people with mental illnesses and physical disabilities, those with drug and alcohol addictions, Aboriginal peoples, youth, and women with children fleeing abusive relationships.  Support services include counselling, drug and alcohol treatment, and job training that will help people break out of the cycle of poverty and despair.
 

The first four developments in Vancouver, Surrey and Nanaimo are:

  • The Phoenix Alcohol and Drug Recovery and Education Society in Surrey, a 62-unit multi-service development for adults recovering from drug and alcohol addictions.
  • The New Hope Centre in Nanaimo will see the addition of 21 units of transitional housing to a planned shelter to create a multi-service development. 
  • 55 East Hastings Street in Vancouver will see the development of 98-units of transitional and supportive housing for singles facing multiple challenges. 
  • Woodward's in Vancouver will see an additional 100 units of housing for people at risk of homelessness, with a focus on aboriginals, bringing the total commitment to 200 units.

This announcement followed a meeting of the Premier’s Task Force on Homelessness that is working to establish the framework for an integrated program to tackle the challenges of mental illness, homelessness and addictions in B.C. communities. Additional projects will be identified in partnership with communities and the task force. Proposals that are developed by the task force may be eligible for funds through the Canada - B.C. Affordable Housing Program Agreement.

The provincial funding for the program is in addition to the $154 million a year that the provincial government provides for social housing – the highest amount ever provided in B.C. The Province has also provided an additional $5 million in provincial funding for increased emergency shelter support across the province. This includes 153 additional year-round emergency shelter beds, and 198 additional cold/wet weather shelter beds. There is also a one-month extension of all cold/wet weather beds province-wide to April 30, 2005.

The agreement is another step in the Province’s commitment to help communities become safer and more supportive. The Province last month returned 100 per cent of traffic fine revenue back to communities to support them to make their streets, parks and neighbourhoods safer.
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$84-Million Agreement Signed for Affordable Housing
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