$366,000.00 Per Unit To House Homeless

NON-PROFIT OPERATOR SELECTED

FOR NANAIMO MOU SITE

NANAIMO – The Canadian Mental Health Association – Mid Island Branch has been selected as the non-profit operator for a new supportive housing development being created through an agreement between the Province and the City of Nanaimo.

The society, selected as the result of a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) proposal call issued in July 2009, will design and operate approximately 30-40 units of apartment-style housing and integrated support services, to be developed at 437-445 Wesley St. This development may include bachelor suites for homeless singles and people in need of higher levels of support services. Construction is scheduled to start in early summer 2010.

The site is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced by the Province and the City of Nanaimo in November 2008. The Province is investing over $11 million in capital infrastructure funding. The City of Nanaimo owns the downtown site, which is located close to a range of services and resources.

The project is part of an overall $14-billion capital infrastructure program supported by the Province that will create up to 88,000 jobs and help build vital public infrastructure in every region of B.C.

In 2009-10, the Province's budget for social housing is approximately $450 million, more than three times as much as in 2001.

‘Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness’ is a website providing a comprehensive and detailed look at provincial programs and services to address homelessness. Visit www.bchousing.org/breakingthecycle for more information.

Editor's Comment: Here we go again, the provincial government is spending $11 million to provide 30 - 40 units of apartment style housing, which works out to a cost of either $366,000.00 or $275,000.00 per unit and this does not include land or development costs.

The average working person could never afford a $366,000.00 house, yet that is the kind of housing going to be provided the less fortunate among us. Is there anything wrong with this picture?

Only government can figure out how to build an apartment for more than the private sector can build a single family dwelling! Where in the world does all that extra money go? Who really benefits from this extremely high building costs?