City-provided land on Coquitlam's Burke Mountain could soon see shovels in the ground by the spring for a new affordable housing complex.
The timeline to complete the project is for sometime in 2025, and a recent record-breaking donation appears to be very promising in keeping that agenda.
On Tuesday (Jan. 10), Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver announced its received $5 million from the Al Roadburg Foundation to benefit its 42-unit development at 1358 Coast Meridian Rd.
It's the single largest donation to any project spearheaded by the non-profit organization across Canada, according to a release.
"Mr. [Al] Roadburg liked to give directly to individuals, and this proposed 42-unit project allows the foundation to provide direct benefits by assisting in providing safe, stable and affordable homes for families in need," said foundation spokesperson Robert Carrothers.
The Al Roadburg Foundation is said to provide support for groups working on affordable housing.
Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver CEO Scott Fehrenbacher explained the money will cover roughly one-third of the Coquitlam site's construction budget.
"British Columbia’s housing market is constrained by overwhelming demand and inadequate supply of affordable housing. As provincial population levels continue to grow, we must move faster to create safe, attainable housing options for families in need," he said, noting Habitat for Humanity receives "limited funding" from the province and BC Housing for its projects.
"The donation from the Al Roadburg Foundation will assist us in adding to the region's affordable housing supply and give hundreds of families the security they need as they raise their children. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Foundation for this gift."
The goal of the townhouse complex — located east of Millard Orchard Park — is to give low-income families the chance to achieve homeownership and self-reliance.
It's also part of the city's strategy to get hardworking families into affordable living by choosing to build the complex in "an established healthy neighbourhood."
Habitat for Humanity said it's currently in the permitting application stage of the Burke Mountain project.
In an earlier interview with the Tri-City News, spokesperson Steph Baker confirmed the 42 townhomes will be completed in two stages once the organization's development and building permits are approved by the city.
This was the third known significant financial contribution to the Coquitlam complex in recent years.
In November 2021, Quantum Properties of Abbotsford presented a donation cheque for $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity's Coquitlam project.
In August 2022, Phantom Screens, also of Abbotsford, donated $75,000.
For more information, you can visit Habitat for Humanity's website.
