Seniors and families with low and moderate incomes in Kamloops have access to 112 new affordable rental homes with the opening of the Sunrise Centre development.
“One hundred families and seniors will now have affordable rental homes in Kamloops thanks to this project, a prime example of what we need to build to help address the housing crisis in communities throughout the province,” said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “People need affordable rentals like these so they can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having a quality, affordable home in their community.”
Located at 167 6th Ave. in downtown Kamloops, the six-storey, wood-frame building features a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, including 12 two-bedroom units, which are available to families. The building is ideally located for affordable housing for seniors and families because of the proximity to transit, shops and other amenities. Monthly rents are based on unit size and tenant income, and range from $375 for studios to $1,150 for two-bedroom units.
The Centre for Seniors’ Information B.C. Interior Society (CSI Kamloops) owns and operates the building.
“For the past 25 years, the Centre for Seniors Information has been providing seniors and the Kamloops community with a range of support services, socialization and advocacy,” said Brenda Prevost, operations manager, CSI Kamloops. “We are excited to now add affordable housing as a valuable addition to our services. CSI would like to thank BC Housing and the Province for the development of this project and the incredible support and guidance we received.”
The Province, through BC Housing, provided $11.2 million through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund for the project and will provide annual operating funding of approximately $466,000.
This project is part of B.C.’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the Province has funded more than 30,000 affordable new homes that have been completed or are underway for people in B.C., including approximately 1,300 homes in Kamloops.
Quotes:
Mable Elmore, B.C.’s Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care –
“With the opening of these new homes, seniors and families can stay in their community close to friends and loved ones. Thank you to CSI Kamloops for working with the Province to make this project possible. Our government is working hard with our partners to deliver more homes like these in communities throughout B.C.”
Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver-Granville –
“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Our government is proud to be involved in these projects at their earliest stage in order to ensure they realize their goal of housing Canadians that need it most. This is one of the ways our government continues to ensure no one is left behind.”
Ken Christian, mayor, City of Kamloops –
"We are pleased to have the Sunrise Centre officially open to offer more affordable housing for seniors in our community. Housing remains a key area of focus for our council to improve diversity and access throughout the housing continuum.”
Quick Facts:
- The Community Housing Fund is an investment of $1.9 billion to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes for low- and moderate-income families and individuals over 10 years.
- More than 8,800 of these homes are already open, under construction or in development.
- The Community Housing Fund supports mixed-income buildings where
- 50% of the units are for households with annual incomes as much as $64,000;
- 30% of the units are for households with incomes as much as $74,000; and
- 20% of the units are for households with very low incomes, including those on income or disability assistance.
- The Government of Canada provided funding through the Seed program, which is designed to support costs for completing pre-development activities related to the construction of new affordable housing across Canada.
Learn More:
A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/