Grand opening of 44 new affordable homes in Surrey

Surrey, British Columbia, July 28, 2022

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

Today, Randeep Sarai, Member of Parliament for Surrey Centre on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Rachna Singh, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Surrey – Green Timbers, and Mayor Doug McCallum, City of Surrey announced the grand opening of the Little’s Too supportive housing complex. This housing project will provide 44 new affordable homes for women experiencing and or at risk of homelessness, including trans, cis, and two-spirit women, and women who are struggling with substance use and who may also be struggling with their mental and spiritual wellness.

The Government of Canada contributed nearly $16.4 million through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI), while the province, through BC Housing, will support the new housing with annual operating funding over 20 years. As part of its Investment Plan for the Rapid Housing Initiative’s Major Cities Stream, the City of Surrey partnered with Atira Women’s Resource Society to develop the new modular housing building, located at 9151 King George Blvd.

Owned and operated by Atira Women’s Resource Society, the supportive housing complex will be staffed 24/7 with on-site support for meals and nutrition, homemaking and life skills support, referrals for health and mental health care and more. Atira will also work with its Elder-in-Residence to ensure appropriate cultural support is available to First Nations, Metis and Inuk residents; and has hired a diverse and inclusive staff who reflect the women who will live at Little’s Too.

New investments under the RHI will create thousands of good jobs in the housing and construction sector, grow the middle class, and build back stronger communities while getting closer to the goal of eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada.

Quotes:

“The grand opening of Little’s Too is a fresh start for many. Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we will continue to provide support to those who need it most in Canada. This is a community achievement, and our government is proud to be a partner in making this project a reality. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. With the grand opening of the Little’s Too supportive housing complex, our government continues its commitment to creating more affordable homes for those who need it most, including women experiencing and or at risk of homelessness. This investment through the Rapid Housing Initiative is a crucial step in offering support, stability, and safety for residents of this new supportive housing complex. This is another way our National Housing Strategy is ensuring no one is left behind.”
— Randeep Sarai, Member of Parliament for Surrey Centre

“These new homes with supports will give women experiencing homelessness in Surrey the chance to make a lasting change in their lives. We have seen how successful supportive housing has been both for residents and neighbourhoods in Surrey, and we’re proud to work with all levels of government and our non-profit partners to be providing more of these much-needed homes.”
— Rachna Singh, MLA for Surrey – Green Timbers

“Little’s Too fills a pressing need for housing built specifically for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These 44 new homes give us the opportunity to provide safe and secure supportive housing for women in Surrey as they move forward in their journey. Affordable, appropriate, and safe housing for everyone is a cornerstone of a healthy community. I would like to thank all our partners for their help in making this project a reality. We are deeply committed to working with all levels of Government to combat homelessness in our City, and it all starts with strong partnerships, like the one we are seeing the fruition of today.”
— Mayor Doug McCallum, City of Surrey

“We were thrilled when the City of Surrey approached Atira to partner on this important project. Atira has its roots in Surrey going back almost 40 years and has been fighting for more housing, in particular supportive housing, for women since we opened our first transition house in 1987. We are grateful for the ongoing and lasting support of the City in all of our work, and excited to be offering 44 women a place to call home. We are grateful too for our partners at the federal and provincial levels and to all of our neighbours, and celebrate the coming together of community to make Little’s Too a reality.”
— Janice Abbott, CEO, Atira Women's Resource Society

Quick facts:

The Rapid Housing Initiative is a $2.5 billion program under the National Housing Strategy to help address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of over 10,000 units of affordable housing.
The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, racialized and Black Canadians, recent immigrants and refugees.
Units are intended to be constructed within 12 months of funding being provided to program applicants (with some exceptions). Units in the North and remote communities are intended to be constructed within 18 months.
Budget 2022 proposes to provide $1.5 billion over the next two years to extend the RHI and create 6,000 additional affordable housing units across Canada, with at least 25% of funding going towards women-focused housing projects.
This project is part of BC’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the Province has funded nearly 34,000 affordable new homes that have been completed or are underway for people in BC, including close to 1,800 homes in Surrey.
The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.

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.

Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada.

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 BC is available online at: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC.