A 72-unit two-building lower-cost housing development is opening in Tofino to help alleviate a longtime shortage of rental homes in the coastal community.
The Peterson Drive development for people with low-to-moderate incomes, B.C. Housing said.
The first building dubbed Headwaters North has been completed, while a second building, called Headwaters South, is scheduled to open in September.
Residents of the two buildings will share an amenity room, outdoor parking and indoor storage for bikes, strollers, kayaks and surfboards.
To be eligible to live in one of the buildings, residents must have lived in the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District for at least two of the past three years or have worked in the area for at least a year.
The new units will go a long way to support the local economy and the social fabric of Tofino, Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid-Island-Pacific Rim and former Tofino mayor, said in a statement Friday.
Tofino has had a chronic shortage of rental units, with those seeking to move there frequently posting on social-media sites seeking affordable places to rent.
Units will be a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units with a total of 16 wheelchair-accessible homes.
Residents will be close to a school, health centre, neighbourhood park, grocery stores and other services.
B.C. Housing contributed $7.9 million to the project and will provide $430,000 a year in operating funds.
The federal Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. contributed $9.4 million, while the Tofino Housing Corp., owned by the City of Tofino, provided land valued at $1.8 million, along with $780,000 in funds.
Catalyst Community Developments, a non-profit society, contributed $180,000 for the development and has been hired to run the project.
Tofino’s population grew nearly 28 per cent between 2016 and 2021, Statistics Canada’s census numbers show. In 2021, it had a population of 2,516, compared with 1,967 in 2016.
• To learn how to apply to Headwaters rentals, go to tofinohousingcorp.ca.
