The Squamish Nation will soon be getting its first ever affordable housing project on reserve funded by the province.
Tucked into a barrage of announcements in the waning hours of the NDP-Green government Sunday was funding for 95 units of affordable housing in Xwemelch'stn Village (Capilano 5 reserve).
It is the first time an on-reserve housing project has been funded by the 小蓝视频 government.
鈥淚'm so excited that this really needed housing is going to be built in the heart of our community,鈥� said Sarah Silva, CEO of the Hiy虛谩m虛 ta S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh Housing Society, the band鈥檚 non-profit housing authority.
The project contains 95 units in townhouses and a four-storey apartment building at the corner of Welch Street and Mathias Road, plus 32 surface parking spots, 44 underground spots and 101 bike lockers.
Squamish Nation council , recognizing the acute housing need Squamish members have. Less than half of the band鈥檚 membership live on reserve and there are more than 1,000 members on the nation鈥檚 housing wait list. Like many First Nations, the Squamish have issues with homelessness as a result of poverty and the residential school system, Silva said.
鈥淏ut unlike a lot of other First Nations, we're located in the middle of one of the most expensive cities in the world,鈥� Silva said. 鈥淎 lot of our members have been pushed out and are paying rents that are just way outside of their affordability. There was a real need to be able to bring them home to their supports, and to their culture and to their family and language.鈥�
The location was chosen specifically because of its proximity to the Xwem茅lch鈥檚tn Etsimxwawtxw Capilano Littlest Ones school, longhouse, elders centre and the Chief Joe Mathias Centre.
Under the province鈥檚 Community Housing Fund, 20 per cent of the units must be rented at a deep subsidy, reserved for people on disability or income assistance. Half of the units must be for households making up to $48,000 per year, costing no more than 30 per cent of their income. The remaining 30 per cent of the units will be offered at below-market rates for moderate income earning households earning up to $74,000.
The Xwemelch'stn units will be targeted for elders, families and youth.
鈥淭he idea is that everyone's going to be living together and supporting each other in the building,鈥� Silva said.
The final designs are not yet complete, but Silva said they will pay special attention to make sure the homes carefully reflect the culture of the people living there.
The Xwemelch'stn project is just the first such project Hiy虛谩m虛 has in mind. The nation has set a
鈥淭he current model of building single-family homes wasn鈥檛 meeting the need,鈥� Silva said 鈥淪o we're looking to do more high-density, more medium-density projects in North Vancouver and up in Squamish.鈥�
The plan is to start construction on the Xwemelch'stn Housing Project in March 2021 and have residents moved in by May 2022.
鈥淵es, it鈥檚 ambitious, but I think, with housing, you need to be ambitious,鈥� Silva said.
