Social Housing in Vancouver - The 14 Sites

[raggedy13]

The backside of the Pender and Abbott building (yesterday):

[jlousa]

The building at Pender and Abbott has a really interesting awning support installed, it's a piece of art and pretty odd looking right now. Have to wait till it's completed but it appears to be overkill at this stage.

[hollywoodnorth]

the 1005 Station street project is set to open in the middle of this month!

[hollywoodnorth]

http://twitter.com/#!/BC_Housing/sta...61614389497856

1005 Station Street is first Vancouver MOU site to get occupancy permit. Folks moving in in January

photo >> http://yfrog.com/h32xgcj


VERY cool to see BC Housing using twitter!

[SFUVancouver]

Source (from page 23 of the power point)

[raggedy13]

Some pics of the Pender and Abbott building I took last Sunday:

[DKaz]

If only the middle class can afford to live in something like that.

[officedweller]

Looks much better than the renders suggested.

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by DKaz

If only the middle class can afford to live in something like that.

No shit. This working for a living thing sure isn't paying off.

[flight_from_kamakura]

turned out just beautifully, thanks for the shots.

[SpongeG]

looks good but after seeing whats going on in London we are so boring

[wrenegade]

Are construction costs/prices publicly available for these projects? I am interested to see how badly the taxpayers are getting ripped off. Hotel Pennsylvania and the Olympic Village didn't get things off to a good start.

[SpongeG]

they have budgets which are publicly available

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by awvan

Are construction costs/prices publicly available for these projects? I am interested to see how badly the taxpayers are getting ripped off. Hotel Pennsylvania and the Olympic Village didn't get things off to a good start.

The 525 Abbott project has a stated budget of $28.4MM. $20.8MM from the Province and $7.6MM from the City for land and construction related to the retail component.

So it looks like the residential is the $20.8MM component, and there are 108 units (to be used for homeless women from DTES). Assuming it is on budget, average works out to $192,592 per unit. That seems to come in at the approx $200M cost per unit outside of land acquisition that I thought you stated yesterday could be done by private sector, but maybe that post is gone or I am imagining things.

Just my own opinion, but I think that is fair value for much needed housing.

http://www.bchousing.ca/programs/hom...1?pageNumber=3

The Province is investing $20.8 million in capital infrastructure funding for this development, which integrates housing with support services to help women move beyond temporary shelter to stable housing and appropriate employment.

[vanlaw]

188 E.1st Ave:

$28.8MM total, $21.8MM for capital infrastructure funding. 129 units - $168,992 average per unit

http://www.bchousing.ca/programs/hom...7?pageNumber=3

337 W.Pender:

$19MM capital cost - 96 units - $197,917 average per unit

http://www.bchousing.ca/programs/hom...9?pageNumber=3

[SFUVancouver]

The Pender and Abbott building is also for single mothers with young children, which I think most will agree are a demographic that should not be in shelters or SRO hotels. Moreover, I understand that it is exactly those living accommodations that lead to the government separating a family and placing the children into foster care. To have a building come on stream that addresses the housing needs for young children and their mothers is very gratifying for me. I understand that spending time in foster care is one of, or the, biggest factor in determining a child's likelihood of ending up on the wrong side of the law in their teenage years, which spells near certain ruin to the trajectory of their lives. $28 million is a bargain for a building that will save society exponentially more in the short time, let alone long term. The same is true for all these buildings. As referenced in the City's powerpoint that I linked to a few posts back, a homeless person costs society about $55,000 a year. Housing is the single surest way to reduce those costs and we saw what happened when the construction of social housing ceased in this province for most of the decade.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

The Pender and Abbott building is also for single mothers with young children, which I think most will agree are a demographic that should not be in shelters or SRO hotels. Moreover, I understand that it is exactly those living accommodations that lead to the government separating a family and placing the children into foster care. To have a building come on stream that addresses the housing needs for young children and their mothers is very gratifying for me. I understand that spending time in foster care is one of, or the, biggest factor in determining a child's likelihood of ending up on the wrong side of the law in their teenage years, which spells near certain ruin to the trajectory of their lives. $28 million is a bargain for a building that will save society exponentially more in the short time, let alone long term. The same is true for all these buildings. As referenced in the City's powerpoint that I linked to a few posts back, a homeless person costs society about $55,000 a year. Housing is the single surest way to reduce those costs and we saw what happened when the construction of social housing ceased in this province for most of the decade.

HEAR HEAR! well put my friend! This is a great project and the crown jewel of the "12 sites". The Canopy looks really funky in person and will be interesting to see how it finishes. Goes good with the emerging "entertainment" district it is located in.

[webster]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

The Pender and Abbott building is also for single mothers with young children, which I think most will agree are a demographic that should not be in shelters or SRO hotels. Moreover, I understand that it is exactly those living accommodations that lead to the government separating a family and placing the children into foster care. To have a building come on stream that addresses the housing needs for young children and their mothers is very gratifying for me. I understand that spending time in foster care is one of, or the, biggest factor in determining a child's likelihood of ending up on the wrong side of the law in their teenage years, which spells near certain ruin to the trajectory of their lives. $28 million is a bargain for a building that will save society exponentially more in the short time, let alone long term. The same is true for all these buildings. As referenced in the City's powerpoint that I linked to a few posts back, a homeless person costs society about $55,000 a year. Housing is the single surest way to reduce those costs and we saw what happened when the construction of social housing ceased in this province for most of the decade.

hate to burst your bubble, but only 8 of the 108 suites are for families. the other 100 units are studio suites, only suitable for one person (less than 400 SF). all residents will be female however...

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by DKaz

If only the middle class can afford to live in something like that.

Originally Posted by officedweller

Looks much better than the renders suggested.

Pender and Abbott was one of the WORST, sleaziest; dirtiest intersections in town. To put up some social housing of this calibre not only improves the local aesthetic, but more importantly, it allows residents to live in a place with a feeling of dignity - something that some of them have never known before.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

As referenced in the City's powerpoint that I linked to a few posts back, a homeless person costs society about $55,000 a year.

I for one see no logic in those numbers. For $55K per year anyone can easily retire in a beach front condo in Hawaii or a 3- bedroom Townhome in Palm Springs, hell, I could easily do that for $40K per year.

There is something very wrong in this City's perception of what is required and where.