The provincial government announced Friday, during the official groundbreaking, (March 24) that it would provide funding for an affordable housing project in Parksville.
Kingsley Manor, a 28-unit apartment block, first came to Parksville city council in August 2016. The $5-million development would have one-bedroom suites for local seniors and people with disabilities. The location for Kingsley Manor is 312 Hirst Ave.
The Government of Canada has now announced it will provide about $2.8 million for 16 units through the Federal Social Infrastructure Fund, to increase affordable housing for seniors, according to a press release from the provincial government.
Kingsley Manor is the first project in B.C. to receive funding through the Government of Canada Social Infrastructure Fund to increase affordable housing for seniors. Sixteen units are currently held for seniors when the building opens in December of this year.
“It will be a great asset to Parksville for many years,” said Duane Round, building chair for the Kingsley Low Rental Housing Society. “Our mission is to be a housing provider that will ensure our most vulnerable citizens have a place to call home.”
The provincial government has also announced it will provide interim construction financing of about $1.3 million
The City of Parksville and the Regional District of Nanaimo will provide a combined investment of about $319,000 and the Kingsley Low Rental Housing Society, which operates two other properties in the city, will provide land and equity of approximately $364,000.
In a news release, Parksville Mayor Marc Lefebvre said the city is pleased to support organizations like Kingsley Low Rental Housing Society.
“We applaud its innovative approach to creating more affordable housing options that support some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Lefebvre said.
RDN board chair Bill Veenhof said Kingsley Manor has provided an excellent low-rent option for many years.
“This redevelopment meets a real and ongoing need across our region,” Veenhof said.
The building will be managed by B.C. Housing with very little cost to the city or the taxpayer, said Round.
Kingsley Manor is replacing a vacant, six-unit apartment block that the society operated for the past 50 years.
— NEWS Staff/B.C. government release