1,006 new units for Vancouver's homeless

The B.C. government, the City of Vancouver and a private foundation are putting up $225 million to build more than 1,000 new supportive housing units for the homeless, the coalition announced Tuesday.

The 1,006 new units will be located on eight sites provided by the City of Vancouver, worth about $32 million.

The province will contribute $205 million, according to Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman.

A major source of the provincial funding for the sites is the proceeds from the sale and redevelopment of the former site of the Little Mountain social housing site in Vancouver, Coleman said.

"So the legacy of Little Mountain not only replaces all the social housing on that site, but helps to make possible the creation of more than a 1,000 new supportive apartments."

The Streetohome Foundation is promising $20 million toward construction as part of a new agreement that will see the foundation raise money from the private sector, said John McLernon, chair of the foundation.

Adds to new supply

The eight new projects are in addition to six projects previously announced by the province and the city to build 569 new supportive-housing apartments. Construction on the original six sites has already begun.

Construction on the eight new sites is expected to begin after final municipal approvals are issued this year and some are expected to be completed by 2013.

"We've got a lot of work left to do, but the development of these eight sites of social housing will move us significantly closer to our goal of ending street homelessness in Vancouver by 2015," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

"Today's announcement of secured funding for sites in Vancouver is very welcome news," said Bonnie Rice, executive director of the Katherine Sanford Housing Society, in a statement.

"Providing more housing options in every neighbourhood will allow individuals requiring supported housing to remain in their own community," she said.

Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang said once the buildings are completed, they will save the city and the province money in the long term.

"Once these people are inside, in treatment, somewhere safe and warm, as we've seen already with the shelters, we've seen a drop in the visits to emergency wards, we've seen drops in police calls and all sorts of other social disorder, so you know it's a long-term investment, it'll pay dividends in the future," said Jang.