The proposed project will be the redevelopment of the abandoned school site at 4210 Cedarwood Street that will help to address the housing deficit within the First Nations community by providing homes for those most in need.

This development will consist of a four-storey apartment building with 35 units that includes a mix of studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom apartments. The location is central and close to schools, shopping, hospitals, government services, parks, and playgrounds. The project will also provide indoor and outdoor amenity spaces for the residents.

The residents will be multi-generational and will include singles, seniors, and families. As per the requirements of the Community Housing Fund program, 20 percent of the units will be deep subsidy units, 50% for Rent Geared to Income clients and 30% for those with a moderate income.

Based on the need’s assessment, it is expected that most of the deep subsidy units will be occupied by singles with the rest being seniors with only OAS and GIS income. It is expected that the Rent Geared to Income (RGI) units will have a combination of families and seniors. Moderate income units are likely to be filled by families and seniors.

This new development will be in partnership with BC Housing and the City of Port Alberni. It will be built to meet the BC Housing Design and Construction Standards, and the new provincial standards for energy efficiency and sustainability. At this time, the project is in the Rezoning and Development Permit approval phases, with construction estimated to start in 2024-2025.