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By Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long-Term Care Mable Elmore

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: New affordable housing keeps families and seniors in their community

Jan 26, 2022 | 2:15 PM

IN COMMUNITIES BIG AND SMALL across B.C., finding an affordable place to live can be one of the biggest challenges for seniors and families. Since forming government, New Democrats have made housing one of our top priorities.

Last week, we officially opened 112 new units of housing for seniors and families in Kamloops at the Sunrise Centre. These rental homes are geared to residents with low and moderate incomes, and include a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

Located at 167 6th Ave. in downtown Kamloops, the six-story building is close to public transit, shops and other amenities that seniors and families need.

This is an exciting time for the residents who will call this building home. They began moving in earlier this month and are now getting settled in their new homes and neighbourhood.

But this milestone is also a prime example of what we need to build to help address the housing crisis throughout the province: homes that are affordable, close to the businesses and services people use, and have enough space for different family sizes.

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These projects wouldn’t be possible without the support of community partners – in this case, Centre for Seniors Information B.C. Interior Society (CSI Kamloops) will own and operate the building. Organizations like CSI Kamloops have deep roots in their communities and understand the needs of people there.

Including this project, New Democrats have funded nearly 1,300 new homes that are complete or currently under construction in Kamloops. We know there is still more to do, but projects like this show we are making strong progress.

Across the province, we have funded more than 30,000 affordable new homes for people since 2017. These span the full spectrum of the different types of housing people need – from shelters and supportive housing for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, through to transitional housing, and affordable housing geared to income, as well as student housing on campus, and finally market rentals.

By building all these different types of housing, we are ensuring that there are homes that meet the needs of every family or individual. Each type of housing also takes more pressure off the other types – for example, more on-campus housing for students takes pressure off the surrounding rental market, while supportive housing projects help get people off the streets and ease pressure on shelters.

Everyone deserves the peace of mind that comes with having a quality, affordable place to call home in their own community. There is a lot of work ahead, but we are committed to getting there, together.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.