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
Solar storm puts on brilliant light show across the globe, but no serious problems reported
A powerful solar storm put on an amazing skyward light show across the globe overnight but has caused what appeared to be only minor disruptions to the electric power grid, communications and satellite positioning systems.
Montreal man facing charges following contraband drone drop at Millhaven: OPP
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says a 40-year-old man from Montreal is facing charges following a suspected drone drop of unauthorized items at the Millhaven Institution.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Nigeria's fashion and dancing styles in the spotlight as Harry, Meghan visit its largest city
Nigeria's fashion and traditional dances were at full display on Sunday as Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in its largest city, Lagos, as part of their three-day visit to the country to promote mental health for soldiers and empower young people.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.