Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Demolition of the former Cheam View United Church in downtown Chilliwack at 45835 Spadina Avenue, which will eventually become a 64-unit social housing project. Given the repeated delays and uncertainty associated with a provincially funded supportive housing project currently under construction on Trethewey Avenue, Chilliwack Councillor Jeff Shields doesn't have much confidence the province can deliver the next social housing project in Chilliwack.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Downtown social housing project

Chilliwack councillor doubts B.C. govt. can deliver downtown Chilliwack social housing project

Nov 20, 2024 | 9:51 AM

CHILLIWACK — Given the repeated delays and uncertainty associated with a provincially funded supportive housing project currently under construction on Trethewey Avenue, Chilliwack Councillor Jeff Shields doesn’t have much confidence the province can deliver the next social housing project in Chilliwack.

Councillor Shields made the comments after council agreed to waive over $1.2 million in development costs for a forthcoming 64-unit social housing project on the grounds of the former Cheamview United Church at 45835 Spadina Avenue in downtown Chilliwack.

Mamele’awt Qweesome Housing Society (MQHS), a non-profit Urban Indigenous housing society, had asked the City of Chilliwack to have fees waived under the Community Development Initiatives Funding Policy ($31,394.14), as well as the Development Cost Charges Waiver for Eligible Developments Bylaw ($1,183,977.47).

“This is pretty important what we’re doing here,” said Shields, referencing the waived development fees. “As a city we’re forgoing almost $1.2 million in well-needed infrastructure funding and DCCs (development cost charges). We got the good people of Chilliwack United Church that donated a church property that was worth a fair amount of money, a nice area in town. We’ve really stepped up and we’ve showed our commitment to building housing. Now, I have this big concern about the other partner in this, which is the province, which I believe will be responsible for building this housing.”

Image: City of Chilliwack / Councillor Jeff Shields doubts the B.C. government can deliver on the next social housing project in Chilliwack.

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Shields couldn’t help but reference the ongoing debacle on Trethewey Avenue where a 91-bed housing project is overdue by nearly three years.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Supportive housing project under construction on Trethewey Avenue.

“As we know, we’ve got one over on Trethewey that’s going on into its second or third year of sitting there not done,” Shields said. “I certainly hope, and I don’t have great confidence, the province will do a whole lot better on this one than they did on the last one. We proved over and over that we’re willing to commit to provide affordable housing, supportive housing, and we kinda get left out high and dry.”

Karen Stanton, director of public safety and social development for the City of Chilliwack, sought to reassure Shields this next project would be built in a specific timeline backed by the builder behind the downtown Paramount project.

Image: City of Chilliwack / Karen Stanton, director of public safety and social development for the City of Chilliwack, speaks during Tuesday’s council meeting.

“I did a little bit of follow-up work on this knowing that was a concern,” Stanton said. “The province, or BC Housing, is the funder of the project. They are offering operating subsidies as well. The project management is undertaken by a housing consulting firm called CPA Consultants, who were also involved with the Paramount project. The builder is VanMar Constructors. They are shaping up for final approval on their tender in December with BC Housing and are looking towards breaking ground in the new year with an approximate 20-month construction schedule. If the experience we’ve had with the Paramount in the downtown is any indication, I think we should be in good shape on this one.”

Mayor Ken Popove respectfully countered that the Paramount building project took several years from start to finish.

“Having said that, the Paramount project took 7 years from inception to build-out,” he said. “Don’t hold your breath.”