A new affordable housing project is coming to the city of New Westminster.
The five-townhouse development is slated to be built in the Queensborough neighbourhood, and will be targeted towards single women and children facing housing challenges.
The project, to be located at 630 Ewen Ave., will be owned and managed by non-profit group Women in Need Gaining Strength (WINGS) and is being constructed with capital support from with BC Housing.
WINGS also operates a pair of first stage transition houses and one second stage transition house in the Lower Mainland for women fleeing violence and domestic abuse, along with counselling services.
“Affordable housing has become such a critical issue in the city of New Westminster and the Metro Vancouver region,” said New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote.
“Although this project in isolation is not going to solve all of our affordable housing problems, I think it’s projects like these that can all contribute to helping a very difficult and challenging situation.”
Cote said the city is contributing a piece of unused city-owned land, which was rezoned for the purpose last summer.
“The reality is there are many, many folks in our communities that have just been left out in today’s housing market and I think all levels of government have to do what they can to provide more support and make sure that people can afford to live in our region.”
Construction of the project in Queensborough will begin this month and is expected to be completed in a couple of years.