Affordable housing for Vernon
November 25, 2009 by Lynn Knell
Filed under Community, Headlines, Homes, Vernon news
Ribbon-cutting ceremony (left to right) Cecelia Gottfriedsen, Elder; Pauline Archachan, Elder; Molly Bono, Okanagan Indian Band; Caroline Proulx, Tenant of Kickwillie Place; Mayor Wayne Lippert, City of Vernon; Val Chiba, Vernon Native Housing Society; Eric Foster, MLA for Vernon-Monashee.
New $12.2 million affordable housing for Vernon.
November 20, 2009 saw the official opening of the brand-new Kickwillie Place in Vernon, “… an important step toward ensuring that local families will have access to affordable housing and child care”.
According to a news release, dated the same day, the province provided $11,157,558 million toward the project through the AHI, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) contributed $210,000 for a 16-space multi-age child care centre onsite, and a 60-year lease on the land, which is valued at $900,000 was provided by the City of Vernon.
Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Eric Foster, MLA, for Vernon-Monashee, stated that “…. This new development will benefit our community by providing stable housing and child-care opportunities for people in need.”
“It meets a variety of community needs at once, supports families and demonstrates the value of strong partnerships to accomplish our goals,” said Mary Polak, Minister of Children and Family Development.
Vernon mayor Wayne Lippert assured that the City of Vernon is “proud to be a partner in this development because building a better life begins with access to stable and affordable housing”.
Twenty-six mixed one-and-two-bedroom and 16 three-and-four-bedroom apartments comprise the new Kickwillie Place, located at 4305 19th Avenue in Vernon. The child-care centre includes a kitchen and a large amenities space.
The development will be operated and managed by the Vernon Native Housing Society. Formed in the mid-1990’s, VNHS is the only aboriginal social housing management agency in Canada.
President of the VNHS, Val Chiba, stated that “……we are [going to be] able to provide clean and comfortable housing for low-income families and individuals in greatest need.”
Margaret Pfoh, the president of AHMA agrees. ”….This development will give [us] the ability to help more people in need of affordable housing”, she added.
The child-care centre will open its doors next month.
Readers may contact Rhonda Nguyen at BC Housing, (604-439-4740 or 604-374-8301) for more information. Or visit www.bchousing.org/breakingthecycle to learn about provincial programs and services to address homelessness.
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