More affordable rental homes are coming to Powell River. Work is now underway on a new development set to offer 24 rentals, geared to local families and seniors with low to moderate incomes.
Located at 6635 Cranberry St., ‘Cranberry Place’ will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes located in two townhouses and two apartment blocks, the Province says.
“Each building will have a laundry room, a multipurpose room with washroom and kitchenette, and an outdoor play area for children. Life Cycle Housing Society, an experienced non-profit, will manage the homes once construction is complete,” reads a release.
The development will replace the eight aging single-family cottages on the site, the Province notes, with BC Housing helping residents who were living in the cottages relocate to other affordable housing in the community. Once construction is complete, former residents will be offered an opportunity to move into the new homes.
The Province provided a grant of around $2.5-million from the ‘Community Housing Fund’ toward construction. Through BC Housing, officials will also provide the society with an annual operating subsidy of over $150,000, which will go toward management and maintenance costs.
Construction on ‘Cranberry Place’ kicked off this month and the Province expects work will wrap up by summer 2022.
“After years of planning, Life Cycle Housing is definitely excited to see Cranberry Place becoming a reality,” adds society president Frances Ladret.
Ladret continues, “This development represents an impressive collaborative effort in true ‘qathet’ fashion. It is the result of assistance and support from many – including the Tla’amin Nation, which agreed to transfer a Crown lot to enlarge the total site, BC Housing, city council and planning staff, qathet Regional District, our design and build team of Spani Developments and Mobius Architecture, Vesta Consultants and, of course, our existing Cranberry residents who agreed to have their lives disrupted. We thank them all.”
