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Officials broke ground on an affordable housing project in Surrey today that will create 73 new rental homes for Indigenous people.
The housing complex is called “Sohkeyah," which means "Robin’s Nest" and will be operated by Kekinow Native Housing Society (KNHS).
The new building will be located at 7561 140th Street and rents are projected to range from about $550 to $1,300 per month.
The project is the first phase of a two-part project to build a total of 176 new rental homes for Indigenous individuals, seniors and families with low incomes.
The affordable housing project replaces 33 existing three-bedroom units. Shelly Hill, CEO of KNHS says they have moved almost all of the residents in those 33 units into new housing.
"We are working with the remaining residents of the original townhouses to find them housing as the earliest time and convenience possible. When completed, the redevelopment will have a positive impact on more than 100 families in need of affordable housing,” Hill says.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2019 at the latest and contain homes of varying sizes from studios to two-bedroom units.
The housing project is a partnership between the federal and B.C. government, the Kekinow Native Housing Society and the City of Surrey.
“The comprehensive redevelopment of Kekinow Native Housing Society’s affordable rental housing project in Surrey is yet another example of Kekinow’s diligent efforts to ensure residents on limited incomes are given the best chance to thrive and reach their full potential," says Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and BC Housing are jointly contributing $8.5 million under the Social Infrastructure Fund.
The federal government is providing about $442,000 through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy and interim construction financing of up to $8.1 million.
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