76 supportive homes proposed for East Vancouver won’t be ready until 2026: BC Housing

Designs for a supportive housing project slated for East Vancouver are expanding as the province looks for solutions to the housing crisis.

An additional 26 units are being proposed for the project on city-owned land at 2930 Renfrew Street, which was originally pitched as a six-storey building with 50 supportive homes back in June 2021. The new design imagines a 12-storey building. 

“These homes would address the urgent need for supportive housing and prevent people from experiencing homelessness,” BC Housing wrote in a statement Thursday.

The organization says the redesign is a reflection of recent approvals by city council.

“Following the original proposal, city council approved the approved the Vancouver Plan, which supports increased mid-rise buildings close to rapid transit. Council also approved an Interim Rezoning Policy in March 2022, which supports 100-per-cent social or supportive housing projects in this area,” a spokesperson for BC Housing wrote in an email to CTV News on Friday.

According to a timeline included in the proposal, construction for the project likely won’t start until late next year—and only after city council approves the rezoning and permitting—and the homes could be open sometime in 2026.

The project is a partnership between the City of Vancouver and the province, through BC Housing, as well as the selected operator Lu’ma Native Housing Society.

It’s one of five supportive housing developments that are part of a pledge by all governments to deliver 350 new, permanent supportive homes in Vancouver.

Each unit would be a studio apartment with a private bathroom and kitchen, according to the proposal.

“Residents who were living in the local area, either in shelters or living outside, would be prioritized for these homes,” BC Housing told CTV News, adding the potential tentants will go through a co-ordinated access and assessment process.

The building will also include spaces for Indigenous cultural practices and amenities such as shared laundry, a commercial kitchen, a dining area and program space, according to the proposal.

On Tuesday, the project’s partners launched a public engagement period in hopes of hearing neighbours’ thoughts on the proposal. The engagement period will close on April 28.

“Site design, building design and elements such as lighting and landscaping,” are listed as elements of the project feedback is being sought over.