Coquitlam is set to be home to the province’s first HousingHub as the provincial government looks to partner to build 75 housing units in the community.
“Building affordable homes for middle-income people is key to tackling the housing crisis, and we have to work together to get it done,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan.
“We are taking the expertise from BC Housing and now bringing the resources as well. We will get the projects started.”
Coverage of housing in B.C. on Globalnews.ca:
The HousingHub was a key component of the NDP government’s 30 point housing plan that was unveiled in February.
It aims to bring local governments, developers and the non-profit sector together to build housing.
Click here to view
Here’s how it works: the hub will be administered by BC Housing and will find community partners to build new, market-rental housing and owner-purchased housing targeted at people who make between $50,000 and $100,000 a year.
The hub will work with a wide range of groups to locate, use or re-purpose land in communities where housing affordability is an issue.
“The province is backstopping the start and a developer will build it,” said Horgan.
“The process was bring your land to the table, bring your expertise to the table, bring your capital to the table and we will marry those up.”
The first partnership is based on a proposal brought forward by the B.C. Conference of the United Church of Canada to build 400 new units in Coquitlam, Nanaimo, Richmond and Vancouver.
The province is committing $12.4 million of provincial money for the four communities.
Coquitlam is the first community out the door with the project.
WATCH: United Church of Canada announce the strategy for helping to create affordable housing
“There is no doubt access to affordable housing options has become one of the issues facing our region and our community,” said Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart.
“It has been shown that safe, affordable housing is the main determinant in producing strong families.”
The Coquitlam project at the Como Lake United Church is expected to break ground in June.