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New housing complex a first for Tumbler Ridge
Alison Shepherd
Wednesday July 21, 2010 By Alison Shepherd
The ground was broken last week for the new seniors housing complex on Pioneer Loop. The 12 housing units are constructed by BC Housing and should be completed in October.
Mayor Larry White said this complex is first ground level housing in Tumbler Ridge.
“There are single level houses in Tumbler Ridge but you need to step up to get into them. These units have no stairs to access them. This is a first for us and is great for seniors and people with disabilities since they don’t have to step up into their homes,” White said.
BC Housing had
White said since Housing BC is building the complex and taking care of maintaining services to the units, there is no money coming out of the town’s budget. White said Tumbler Ridge was picked to get the housing due in part to all of the hard work of the Senior’s Task force and all the studies done on senior living in town.
“Since the mines died, we have wanted to make improvements and increase accessibility for not only seniors but for people with disabilities,” White said.
The homes will be similar to the ones on Chamberlain with a manager who takes care of the rent, maintenance, and landscaping.
One of the reasons the site was chosen was the services were already at the lot and, if need be, the complex can expand to accommodate another 12 units. The lot is also the site of the legion and there are plans for a senior activity centre on the lot.
The units are single bedroom, modular homes, which will be built in the lower mainland and shipped to town. The units are a little more than 600 square feet and will have a foundation with a small crawl space under the unit but otherwise will be one level. The houses also come with appliances, a small outdoor patio and individual parking stalls.
White said people can apply for housing by going online or coming into town hall and have staff help complete the application. To be eligible for the housing, applicants must be over 55 years old, or be a person with a disability. There are also financial requirements that must be met. For more information on the housing or eligibility, go to town hall or online at www.bchousing.org
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