Cost savings include the lack of construction waste that would typically go to the landfill, including material for building a foundation. The foundations for the containers were built with forms made of plastic and Styrofoam and filled with cement. The containers are airtight, energy-efficient, not conducive to mould build-up and strong enough to withstand an earthquake. "That'll be the safest building to be in if we have an earthquake," he said, pointing out containers are stacked seven stories high on ships on the high seas.
Rob Turnbull, president and CEO of the Stree-tohome Foundation, visited the site and joined Weldon in one of the containers as crews welded the units in place.
Streetohome, an organization that raises money with the goal of eradicating homelessness, donated $120,000 to the project. The organization has donated more than $20 million to various projects in the city aimed at reducing homelessness. "It's truly an innovation," Turnbull said. "We're not a service provider but we are interested in breaking the cycle of homelessness here in Vancouver."
The project is located on the same property where Atira bought and renovated a building - now called Imouto - to house young women at risk of family violence.
Both projects, including land and construction costs, total about $3 million, about $2.6 million of which came from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Other financial backers included B.C. Hydro, which supplied two of the containers and an additional $90,000. The City of Vancouver donated $120,000 and the Central City Foundation gave $35,000.
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Twitter: @Howellings
