Progress continues on Richmond’s 12-unit Habitat for Humanity project in the Garden City neighbourhood of Ash Street.
Local Liberal MLAs were invited by colleague Linda Reid (Richmond South Centre) to meet and break ground with a family that will benefit from the home ownership partnership.
The Rai family, said Reid, has long struggled to find an accessible home that will accommodate their son Caleb, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility.
“I have been touched by the Rai family’s story since Caleb’s mother Sharon approached me many years ago,” said Reid. “This family has been through so much, and moved so many times. They cannot wait to call this place ‘home,’ and I couldn’t be more overjoyed for them.”
Reid thanked her colleagues, as well as members of the B.C. Cement Association, for donating a day of their time to help with the project that will see six houses built on a piece of land sold at a reduced rate of $397,000 by the past Liberal provincial government.
All tenants must commit to 500 hours of “sweat equity,” meaning they help build the homes in some manner.
The goal of the $2.4 million project is to see families transition into traditional market housing, by paying mortgages that cost just 30 per cent of gross family income. A homeowner’s allowable income is capped at $65,000, while renters of the secondary suites cannot be earning more than $35,000.
Dennis Coutts, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, said, via a statement, he was appreciative of Reid’s team.
“When you build with Habitat, you are making a tangible contribution to the lives of the family that will move into this Habitat home. Together, we are building a community by helping hard working families realize their dream of home ownership.”
