The Resort Municipality of Whistler is opening 55 affordable rental apartments, alleviating pressure to provide accommodations to people unable to afford the resort’s high-end condo living.
The 55 units in Whistler’s Olympic Village total $7.2 million and are being converted exclusively for people who live and work in Whistler.
“The ability to find affordable housing in the community of Whistler has proven challenging to some in the past,” said Marla Zucht, general manager, Whistler Housing Authority. “These affordable apartments will help individuals put their housing concerns to rest, allowing them to continue to live and work in the community they love.”
The province is providing a mortgage of approximately $4 million, Whistler is providing $1 million and the Whistler Housing Authority is providing $2.2 million.
The units are located in the Chiyakmesh building, which is a four-storey wood-frame building that contains 40 studio apartments and 15 one-bedroom apartments.
The units are part of the newly-occupied and “much-needed” 221 resident housing units in the Cheakamus Crossing neighbourhood.
B.C.’s Housing and Social Development minister Rich Coleman told Business in Vancouver last September that he believes one of the greatest Olympic legacies was the way the province was able to convert Whistler’s athletes’ village into social housing for seniors and people who have mental disabilities. (See “Successful Olympic modular housing experiment spurs Phase 2 project ” – BIV Daily Edition; September 10, 2010.)