Langford matching $75K in donations for displaced residents of RidgeView Place

The City of Langford says it will be matching donations up to $75,000 for residents of an apartment building that was evacuated last month because of structural defects.

The 11-storey, 90-unit RigeView Place was evacuated on April 24, displacing about 200 people. It's the second time the building had to be evacuated due to safety concerns since 2019.

The city is working with the West Shore Developers Association (WSDA) on the fundraiser.

WSDA president Ron Coutre says it's reaching out to its partners to raise money for the displaced tenants.

Several local companies have already promised to donate $15,000 to the fund.

"That makes $30,000 with Langford's matching funds," said Coutre. "It's a start, but we need more to really help these residents."

The funds will be distributed through the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria (CSPC).

The CSPC has experience distributing more than $1 million in grants and through its loan "rent bank" program.

Residents who have been displaced will need to apply for the donations through the CSPC website, which will distribute the funds on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants will be assessed through factors like household income, family composition and greatest need.

CSPC executive director Diana Gibson says the funds will be distributed "transparently, efficiently, and equitably."

The city adds that it has asked the province for funding to hire a community navigator who can work one-on-one with displaced residents on finding new long term housing.

So far, building owner Centurion has offered tenants $2,500 and has offered refunds for damage and pet deposits, as well as rent from April 24 to April 30.

Meanwhile, the province offered to cover five days of emergency housing to tenants last week.

There's still no timeline yet on when, if ever, the building will reopen to residents.

"Residents who are moving out will be moving out for a long term," said Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson on Monday.

ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION

The city says it will not restore the building's occupancy permit until Centurion has completed an assessment by a third-party engineer.

After the building, which was formerly named Danbrook One, was first evacuated shortly before Christmas 2019, Centurion supposedly completed millions of dollars in remediation to make the building safe.

The building's occupancy permit was then restored in April 2022.

"We were led to believe that everything was up to building code," said Goodmanson last week. "We've learned since that everything wasn't."

The recent evacuation was prompted by recommendations from Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia.

There's been no word yet on why EGBC was investigating the building for a second time this year.

Goodmanson says he's grateful for all the work being done by community members who have offered support, as well as the WSDA and CSPC.

"This really is a community story," he said. "We've talked with partners in upper levels of government and we've talked with local groups, and people are coming together to support these residents."