Olympic Legacy Housing Breaks Ground in Sechelt

April 8th, 2010 - Eight temporary modular homes from the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Whistler are being turned into permanent affordable rental homes on the Sunshine Coast, thanks to a $3.7-million investment by the Province and community partners.

View BC Housing Press Release

Sechelt to Receive Supportive Housing Units in 2010
Posted: 2008/10/2
edited 2008/10/31

On October 21, 2008, Premier Campbell announced an agreement with VANOC, the organizer of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which will help address the issue of homelessness in Sechelt. Modular housing units from the Olympic Village in Whistler will be re-used on several sites throughout the province, including Sechelt. The Province will arrange for a construction manager to move the modules, prepare the sites, build foundations, and reconfigure the modules to create units that suit local requirements.

Following the 2010 games, 320 temporary Olympic housing units will be transformed by the Province and its partners into 156 permanent dwellings for people at risk of homelessness in various communitites throughout the province. Eight (8) of those units have been designated for the former RCMP detachment site in Sechelt (5661 Dolphin Street). The Province will cover costs for moving of the units, site preparation and the ongoing operating cost for supportive housing services. (click here to view the BC Housing press release)

The District of Sechelt will continue to work with local partners (Sunshine Community Services Society, Arrowhead Center Society, Vancouver Coastal Health) and the federal and provincial governments on agreements for the design and development of the Sechelt site. Tentative timelines are:

• renovation of existing RCMP building for use as a clubhouse and program administration -  between December 2008 and July 2009
• site preparation for housing units next to the existing building - second half of 2009
• transport of units from Whistler and reconstruction in Sechelt - between April and October 2010.

Background of the former RCMP site redevelopment

The former RCMP detachment site was transferred to Sechelt by the Government of Canada as part of the Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative (SFRPHI), a component of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). Sechelt’s agreement with the federal government commits that a minimum of three supportive housing units and a clubhouse for Arrowhead Center Society will be developed and operated on the site for at least five (5) years. The clubhouse will be available for Arrowhead members and for the residents of the supportive units.

In addition to Arrowhead Center Society, two other partners play a critical role in the development and operation of the project: Sunshine Coast Community Services Society and Sunshine Coast Mental Health & Addictions Services (Vancouver Coastal Health). Sunshine Coast Community Services Society will serve as lead organization and provide overall management to the site and housing program. Sunshine Coast Mental Health & Addictions Services will provide supportive services including mental health treatment, counseling and life skills training to members of the clubhouse and residents of the housing units.  The architect for the clubhouse renovation component of the project is Mobius Architecture.

Sechelt was selected to be part of this exciting project for many reasons, including demonstrated need, strength of the local partnership and the availability of existing resources. In addition to the provincial funding, this project is supported by the following entities:

• Construction Aggregates has committed $100,000 in materials
• BC Gaming matched Construction Aggregates commitment with a $100,000 Capital Grant
• Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia has provided a grant in the amount of $125,000 to support the development of housing units
• CMHC has provided a “Seed” grant of $20,000 towards development costs
• Coast Builders Association represented by Wakefield Homebuilders, Spani Development Ltd, and Hamilton Construction Ltd. have provided no-cost consultation and will continute to support the project through donations of labor and materials

The District thanks all involved with this project for their on-going support and looks forward to working with its partners to help make safe accommodation for those at risk of homelessness in our community a reality.

For Further Information, Contact:
André Boel
Community Planner
(604) 885-1986