Affordable Seniors' Housing Breaks Ground in Enderby
ENDERBY – George Abbott, MLA for Shuswap and Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, announced today that construction is underway on Enderby Memorial Terrace, an Olympic legacy housing project that will provide 15 affordable rental apartments for low-income seniors in Enderby.
“Creating affordable housing options for seniors is essential to sustaining and nurturing smaller communities like Enderby,” said Abbott. “Through this innovative Olympic legacy partnership, Enderby Memorial Terrace will allow seniors to maintain their independence while staying in the community they call home, close to family and friends.”
The total capital cost of Enderby Memorial Terrace is approximately $3.9 million. The Province will provide an annual operating subsidy of $25,017.
Enderby Memorial Terrace is the result of a partnership between the Province and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to reconfigure 320 temporary modular homes from the Whistler Athletes’ Village. The homes will be relocated and converted into 156 permanent, affordable rental homes in six communities across B.C. Other communities include Chilliwack, Sechelt, Saanich, Surrey and Chetwynd.
“This new affordable housing development will enable independent seniors in Enderby to live within a community with each other,” said Mayor Dee Wejr, City of Enderby. “Facilities like this help seniors to continue deeply enriching our city.”
The two-storey building, located at 506 George St., has been designed to accommodate future plans to expand the building to provide assisted living for independent seniors. Enderby Memorial Terrace will be managed and operated by Enderby Seniors Housing Society (ESHS). Established in 2008, ESHS is a non-profit organization created to build, manage and operate seniors’ independent housing in Enderby.
“We are excited and pleased to see the first phase of our seniors’ housing plans come to fruition,” said Patrick Strougler, president and executive director of ESHS. “Once these apartments are open and operating, our society plans to expand on the building and look into providing assisted living and support services at Enderby Memorial Terrace.”
In 2010/11, the Province will invest over $562 million to provide affordable housing and fight homelessness – more than four times as much as in 2001.
Through Housing Matters BC, the Province is addressing a range of housing needs, from homelessness to affordable rental housing and homeownership. To find out more about affordable housing in B.C., visit www.bchousing.org.
