Pitt Meadows is one of four finalists being considered for a Metro Vancouver affordable housing project.
The city was chosen to be one of the priority sites for the affordable rental housing development – picked from 13 nearby communities.
Mayor Bill Dingwall said he has a few reasons to be optimistic the city will be picked as one of up to two sites chosen by the Metro Vancouver Housing Board.
READ MORE: Pitt Meadows to apply for Metro Vancouver Community Housing program
“The first is around regional equity,” he said. “What Metro Vancouver Housing is trying to do is spread out the affordable housing throughout Metro Vancouver, and our city doesn’t have a Metro Vancouver housing component.”
The mayor pointed out the other possible sites include two in Burnaby and another in the City of North Vancouver, both of which already have Metro Vancouver affordable housing within their borders.
Having a central location is going to play in Pitt Meadows favour too, Dingwall insisted.
“The plot of land we have set aside is right by our rec centre, right by our seniors complex, and within walking distance of everything, even the school next door,” Dingwall said.
“Also there’s nothing [built] on it, so they don’t have to remove anything,” he added.
“They can just come in and do their analysis.”
In addition, a possible daycare grant could prove helpful, as well.
“We’ve also applied to the province for the [Childcare BC] New Spaces Fund,” Dingwall said, which would see the city receive $2.4 million to provide up to 60 additional daycare spaces.
“We want to combine the Metro Vancouver Housing project with the daycare and then have them in the same facility,” he said.
“Metro Vancouver [Housing] is very interested in those kinds of collaborations when they take place.”
Dingwall pointed out the daycare space grant has not been confirmed yet, but they expect to receive word within the next month.
Metro Vancouver Housing is expected to perform further technical studies and get started on concept development. A final decision by the board is also expected in July.
If approved, Dingwall said construction could start as soon as 2021.
ronan.p.odoherty@blackpress.ca
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