Canada supports affordable housing in Squamish

Squamish, British Columbia, April 6, 2022

Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery, including in communities such as Squamish.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country, David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing, Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care, and Mayor Karen Elliott, District of Squamish, announced the grand opening of Westwinds building, creating 232 new affordable rental homes for low-income seniors living in Squamish.

The Government of Canada provided $40.55 million in funding for this project. The realization of Westwinds is the result of a partnership between the Government of Canada through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Province, through BC Housing, the District of Squamish, Squamish Senior Living Society and Polygon Homes.

Squamish Senior Living Society will operate the new homes. Monthly rents will range between $767 and $990, depending on tenant income. Located at 38275 Third Ave., the five-story building features a mix of one-bedroom and one-bedroom plus den units, eight of which are wheelchair accessible. Residents will also have access to a range of amenities, including a fitness area, multi-purpose common areas, and storage space for personal items, bicycles and scooters. Residents will begin moving in on April 8, 2022.

“Seniors are a vital part of the Squamish community and this housing complex is going to help hundreds of low-income seniors gain access to high quality affordable housing. That’s why our government has invested nearly $40.6 million, and the vision of Squamish Senior Living Society has been realized in this new 232 unit building. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

“With the Westwind Housing Project opening its doors this week, a total of 232 affordable homes will be created for seniors living on low incomes in Squamish. Westwind will ensure a growing demographic of Squamish residents have access to safe and affordable accommodation in their fast-growing community. Important programming and services will be available within the building to support a high quality of life for all residents. This project shows what can be accomplished when all orders of government, non-profits, and the private sector are committed to work together to deliver affordable housing in our region.”
— Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country

“With the opening of this building, hundreds of low-income seniors in Squamish will have the security and peace of mind that comes with having an affordable place to call home. We are working with all levels of government, and the non-profit and private sectors, to deliver quality homes for seniors throughout the province, so they can live independently in their communities.”
— The Honourable David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing

“This development will make a significant difference for hundreds of seniors in Squamish, who deserve to have a safe and affordable place to live, close to friends and loved ones. We will continue to work with our partners to address the need for seniors’ housing throughout the province.”
— Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care

“The District of Squamish is incredibly pleased to support this project and to now witness the success as our community’s seniors get ready to move in. Housing affordability is one of our most urgent issues and it takes all levels of government, our dedicated non-profits as well as private developers, to make a difference. Ensuring that safe and affordable housing is available to support residents at all stages of their lives is critical for a healthy community, and this project helps substantially towards this goal. As Squamish works to address housing affordability across the housing continuum, we thank all partners for their collaborative efforts to bring this to reality.”
— Mayor Karen Elliott, District of Squamish

“Squamish Senior Living Society is pleased to announce the opening of Westwinds. This project has been a unique collaboration between three levels of Government, the private sector and the Society. We are very grateful to our development partner, Polygon Homes, which has managed to deliver a beautiful and well constructed building that has surpassed all of our expectations. The society looks forward to meeting the housing needs of Seniors in Squamish and the surrounding area for many years to come.”
— Laura Modray, Executive Director, Squamish Senior Living Society

“Polygon is proud of our involvement in the design and construction of Westwinds. It has been a privilege for our team to work with the Squamish Senior Living Society and all levels of government to build homes that will enrich the lives of the residents. Westwinds is a great example of how public and private partnerships work to fill the needs of the community. We look forward to more opportunities like this in the future.”
— Neil Chrystal, president and CEO, Polygon Homes

Quick facts:

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, provided a total of approximately $40.6 million, including:

$1.6 million in National Housing Co-Investment funding.
Approximately $39 million in financing.

The Province, through BC Housing, provided approximately $9.5 million for this project.
Squamish Senior Living Society provided $7.3 million in funding, including $6.3 million in proceeds from the sale of neighbouring land to Polygon Homes.
The District of Squamish provided approximately $6 million through development and community amenity contribution waivers.
With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans and young adults.
Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes.
Under the NHCF, investments are also planned to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence, as well as create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
To help Canadians find affordable housing, Budget 2021 provides an additional $2.5 billion over seven years in new funding and to reallocate $1.3 billion in previously announced funding to speed up the construction, repair, and support over 35,000 additional housing units.
In Budget 2021, $750 million in existing funding under NHCF has been advanced to 2021 – 22 and 2022 – 23. This will accelerate the creation of 3,400 new units and the repair of 13,700 units. $250 million in existing funding will also be allocated to support the construction, repair, and operating costs of an estimated 560 units of transitional housing and shelter spaces for women and children fleeing violence. This funding will help the Government address gender-based violence.
Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $72+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
As of August 2021, the NHS has built over 68,700 new units of housing, repaired and renewed over 90,400 homes.

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. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/.

A map showing the location of all announced provincially-funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC.