New affordable housing under construction in Sooke, Victoria
Two new housing projects have just been launched in Sooke and Victoria, with some of the units earmarked as affordable housing, according to the B.C. government.
In Sooke, a five-storey apartment building is set to be built at two adjacent lots at the corner of Sooke Road and Drennan Street.
The building will include 170 rental units, ranging from studio units to three-bedroom homes.
Twenty-nine of the units are being reserved for people with low incomes, with monthly rent set at shelter rates.
Meanwhile, the remaining 141 units will be set at "below market" rental rates, according to the province.
The building is expected to open to tenants in fall 2023. Construction is pegged at roughly $13.5 million, with contributions from all three levels of government and the M’akola Housing Society.
"This new project will provide a wide range of housing options with more affordable monthly rents," said B.C. Premier John Horgan in a statement Friday.
Meanwhile, construction has begun on a new condo project in Victoria.
A six-storey condo building is coming to the corner of Hillside Avenue and Cook Street at 1301 Hillside Ave. The building will be home to 49 units, including studio, one-bedroom, junior two-bedroom, and two-bedroom homes.
Nine of the building's units will be listed through the province's Affordable Home Ownership Program (AHOP).
AHOP is a BC Housing program that offers low-cost financing for middle-income home buyers through government-administered second mortgages.
These second mortgages are interest and monthly-payment free for up to 25 years.
The remaining 40 units in the new building will be sold at market value, according to the province.
"This project is an example of our experiments with new models to offer affordability to British Columbians," said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.
"In addition to being an experiment in affordability, this building will mean more homes for those living in Victoria and will support middle-income buyers to own their first home," he said.
The building is slated to finish construction in spring 2023.
Further information on BC Housing's AHOP program can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.