Monday January 18, 2021 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
In mid-December during the COVID-19 pandemic, the moving-in phase began at Phase 2 of the Oak Park redevelopment in Langford.
People with low to moderate incomes, including families, seniors and people with disabilities, are moving into 80 new affordable rental homes at the Oak Park 2 building at 612 Goldstream Avenue in the Langford core.
“Everyone deserves a place to call home. Our government is fighting to tackle the housing crisis and building the homes people need in communities throughout British Columbia,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.
Horgan points out that the new affordable homes will give more families in Langford secure housing with on-site child care in their home community.
The project provides a mix of affordable studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, and will soon include 36 new licensed child care spaces.
“These new homes, along with on-site child care, will provide affordable housing and quality child care in the community,” said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.
“We’ve made progress building new homes, but there’s more needed housing on the way as we work with our community partners to build more affordable homes like these in Langford and throughout the province,” said Eby.
The new homes were funded through the Province’s Building BC: Community Housing Fund and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation-BC Bilateral Agreement’s Canada Community Housing Initiative, in partnership with Pacifica Housing and the City of Langford.
Child care opens mid-2021:
Expected to open in mid-2021, the new child care facility will provide 36 spaces for families in Oak Park and the larger Langford community. Full-time child care spaces will be provided for 12 infants and toddlers and 24 three- to five-year-olds.
To learn more about Childcare BC, see: www.gov.bc.ca/childcarebc (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children)
Variety of income levels:
Operated by Pacifica Housing, these new affordable rental homes are available to people with a variety of income levels. The monthly rents are:
- 16 units for people with low incomes (i.e., seniors on fixed incomes and people receiving income assistance): $375 (studio) to $660 (three bedrooms).
- 40 units with rent geared to income (people with low to moderate incomes): $723 (studio) to $1,276 (three bedrooms).
- 24 market rental units: $1,100 (studio) to $1,975 (three bedrooms).
Background:
Construction of the second phase of the Oak Park development began in October 2019, after completion of the initial phase in 2018.
Combined with the first phase, the Phase 2 project has added 153 new affordable homes to the community.
Quotes provided by government:
- Ahmed Hussen, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – “Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why our government is partnering with British Columbia to support the creation of affordable housing solutions that meet the needs of Canadians, including residents of Langford. We continue to move towards our goal of building strong communities where British Columbians can prosper and thrive, barrier-free, now and for the future.”
- Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care – “Access to affordable, quality child care is a key consideration for many families looking to set down roots and raise their children. By working with all partners, we’re weaving child care into the fabric of our communities so more families across the province can access the child care services they need close to home.”
- Stew Young, Mayor, City of Langford – “The City of Langford continues to support a range of housing options and is happy to see the completion of Phase 2 of the Oak Park redevelopment. This partnership between the Province, Pacifica Housing and the City will provide affordable homes and much-needed child care spaces for Langford families.”
- Carolina Ibarra, CEO, Pacifica Housing – “We are incredibly excited to kick off 2021 by welcoming residents into their new homes at Oak Park 2. The Oak Park project is part of Pacifica Housing’s commitment to increase the number and diversity of affordable homes in the Greater Victoria area.”
Locations of provincially-funded housing:
A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC
More housing links:
- To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/
- Pacifica Housing is one of the largest providers of affordable housing and support services in Greater Victoria and Nanaimo. To learn more, visit: https://pacificahousing.ca/
