New affordable rental housing in East Vancouver

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), alongside Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre, David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing, and Kennedy Stewart, Mayor of Vancouver, announced the opening of a new affordable rental housing building for Indigenous families and individuals in Vancouver. The federal government provided $6.4 million to help construct the new residential building located at 3819 Boundary Rd. Additionally the province of British Columbia has provided a $4.4 million grant for the project.

This project, by the Lu’ma Native Housing Society, is a four-storey residential building that will provide the neighborhood of Renfrew Heights with 23 units of much needed rental housing for Indigenous families and individuals.

Rents at the building are 15% below market rates. The building also has seven units for people with low-incomes with rents 30% below the median household income in the area. The project also includes accessible units, with all units having adaptable design.

The project received funding through CMHC’s Rental Construction Financing initiative (RCFi), a National Housing Strategy program that supports rental housing construction projects to encourage a stable supply of rental housing for middle-class families in expensive housing markets.

Residents started moving into the building in April 2021.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That’s why, our government is taking action to increase the supply of rental housing through projects like the one we are announcing today in Vancouver. This new affordable rental housing will provide Indigenous families better access to jobs, services and the amenities they need.”

“Improving Indigenous housing is a core objective for the Government of Canada. That is why Indigenous peoples are a priority group under our government’s National Housing Strategy, and why we are working with Indigenous partners to build safe and affordable homes here in Vancouver, and across the country. Together we are building a generation of new, permanent housing that we can all be proud of.”

“This new building will help Indigenous families and individuals in Vancouver access culturally appropriate affordable housing in a building operated by an Indigenous-run organization. We’re proud to work with multiple levels of government to build affordable, safe and secure homes in partnership with Indigenous-led organizations that are run by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people. Working in partnership is what reconciliation is all about.”

“This project is a perfect example of what happens when all levels of government work together in partnership with Indigenous-led housing societies to create solutions that work for Indigenous households. Close to transit, schools, shopping, and more, this development will become a hub for urban indigenous seniors and families who for too long have been grappling with an increasingly unaffordable city.”

“For over 40 years the Lu’ma Group of Societies has provided safe and affordable housing in the City of Vancouver. The funding for this project presented itself at an opportune time that helps Lu’ma to provide urgently needed housing for Indigenous families and individuals with modest incomes. We are thrilled to have more housing options available for the Indigenous community that would not otherwise be attainable in this expensive housing market. The 23-unit project has been named Sp'óq'es Lá:lém which means Eagles Nest in the Coast Salish language. We are honoured that Musqueam Elder Shayne Point performed a blessing of the building prior to tenants moving in. The building is situated in a highly desirable location within a great family neighbourhood with greenery and mountain views while close to hospital, transportation, schools, & recreation. We would like to acknowledge all our project partners: CMHC, BC Housing, and the City of Vancouver and note this project is a wonderful example of what can be achieved. I would also like to thank my fellow Board members for their ongoing service and support.”

Quick facts:

• The Government of Canada acknowledges that this project is located on the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations
• Through the RCFi, the Government of Canada is encouraging the construction of more than 71,000 new rental housing units.
• A stable supply of rental housing is critical to ensure that more Canadians have access to housing that meet their need and that they can afford. This is a great option for middle class Canadians who are experiencing affordability pressure in many markets with high home prices and lack of rental supply.
• Launched in April 2017, the RCFi has generated significant interest in the industry, which has led to an expansion of the program. Through Budget 2019, the Government of Canada increased the total amount available in loans to $13.75 billion.
• Given the high demand for the program, the Government again expanded the RCFi in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement by adding an additional $12 billion over 7 years, starting in 2021 – 22. The program now totals $25.75 billion in low-cost loans.
• To help Canadians find affordable housing, Budget 2021 proposes to provide an additional $2.5 billion over seven years in new funding and a reallocation of $1.3 billion in previously announced funding to speed up the construction, repair, and support over 35,000 additional housing units.
• Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $70+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home — this includes more than $13 billion committed through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement.

Associated links:

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Media contacts:

Mikaela Harrison
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
mikaela.harrison@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Leonard Catling
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
lcatling@cmhc-schl.gc.ca