More than 1,900 new social housing units being proposed for this east Vancouver neighbourhood

Vancouver Sun | Nathan Griffiths

Published

The proposed Skeena Terrace redevelopment could include over 1,900 social housing units, along with daycare, retail and other amenities.

Staff at city hall are recommending moving to the next phase of a redevelopment proposal that would see an almost 10-fold increase in low-income housing units at one of Vancouver’s first social housing projects.

The proposed redevelopment of Skeena Terrace in east Vancouver would include more than 1,900 social housing units, up from the 230 currently on-site, along with a 74-space child care facility and other amenities. Buildings would range from four to 36 storeys.

Staff have recommended the rezoning application, submitted by B.C. Housing, go to a public hearing, the next step in a years-long process.

The application calls for development over several years in part to minimize displacement of the roughly 600 tenants currently living there. Current tenants would have the right of first refusal on new units.

The city has required that at least half of the new units be suitable for family housing and have two or more bedrooms.

A proposed redevelopment of the Skeena Terrace social housing project would include over 1,900 social housing units, up from the 230 currently on-site, as well as a 74-space childcare facility and other amenities.

The large site is at 2298 Cassiar St. in the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood. Skeena Terrace was built in the 1960s and B.C. Housing has said due to the age of the buildings there’s a need for extensive, continuing maintenance and repairs.

One-third of the units in the new development would be subsidized for low-income households, so rents would be no more than 30 percent of gross household income. While the remaining units “can be rented at up to and including market rents,” according to the staff report, the goal is to reserve two-thirds of the units for low-income housing.

In a statement, B.C. Housing said a public hearing is being planned for the spring.