The provincial government has announced it will be funding more than 600 new affordable rental homes in BC through its Community Housing Fund, with 22 homes coming to Elkford thanks to grant applications and work done by the Elkford Housing Society.
22 homes for the seniors and people with disabilities will be built in the Elk Valley Community with work starting in February next year on land donated by Teck at the start of 2020.
READ MORE: Teck donates land to Elkford Housing Society
Kim Bauer, who is secretary at the Elkford Housing Society, which had applied for the funding, said that they were very pleased with the announcement.
“Elkford has no suitable housing for seniors or people with disabilities currently - none of our buildings are accessible, so it means that seniors will be able to stay in our community.”
The Elkford Housing Society was formed in 2018 has been working with community partners to make it easier for seniors and the disabled to stay in Elkford.
“When the community was built 50 years ago it was built for a young town,” said Bauer.
“Everybody was young, moving here with young families - when homes were built nobody was thinking about the young population aging, and the fact that in 50 years, buildings that have no elevators, and homes with multiple levels wouldn’t necessarily be ideal for seniors to move into.
“As our population aged in our community we began realizing that we need to find something that would allow seniors to stay in Elkford - a lot of the people that developed the town would like to be able to stay here so it’ll be nice.”
Work is due to begin in February 2021, with hopes that the homes for seniors and the disabled will be completed by Spring 2022.
The Elkford Housing Society received funding and support from the RDEK and District of Elkford, and the development proposals were developed with the help of Parastone, with the project to be built on land donated by Teck at 214 Alpine Way.
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scott.tibballs@thefreepress.ca
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