It’s good news that the Hoy Creek Housing Co-op in Coquitlam has reached an agreement to redevelop its large property, with protections in place for current residents and the addition of 300 new affordable housing units on the site.
Anyone who has followed this story has felt for the low-income co-op residents, who have tried since 2009 to improve the property. They lacked the capital of traditional developers and when the complex's rental income dwindled because some suites couldn’t be lived in, the co-op was forced into court-appointed receivership.
It was a catch-22 for Hoy Creek until an agreement was reached with the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHFBC), the Community Land Trust Foundation and Vancity Savings Credit Union.
Now, residents' future — and the property so close to the Evergreen Extension — has been assured.
We are also pleased to see some projects in the works that, if approved, could make life more affordable in the Tri-Cities for those who face barriers to traditional housing because of their income, disabilities, addiction or other issues.
While some might complain that these groups get special favour, the truth is that supporting those on the economic margins has benefits for those at each level of income by reducing pressure on rents, keeping families together and improving lives for children, as well as reducing policing and health costs.
Creating more affordable housing is also a way of creating independence and a sense of community for those people.
Other projects of note include a townhouse and apartment project that will provide affordable rental accommodation for women and children in Port Coquitlam; the opening of YWCA townhouses for low-income women in Coquitlam; a partnership with Coquitlam and the Talitha Koum Society that will see a home for women in recovery that will accommodate children; a condo project in Port Moody built by Marcon Developments that will include units for vulnerable families with children or adults with a developmental disability; and another mixed project in Port Moody on the St. Andrews United Church property that will have rental housing as well as community space for early intervention programs for children with special needs.
These, hopefully, are just the start.
As condo prices go through the roof, especially those near SkyTrain that were supposed to help people live without cars but, in some cases, are becoming investment properties for the well-to-do, these initiatives will keep the Tri-Cities’ reputation as a good place to live for families.
