Vernon Native Housing Society Funding For New Complex

The Vernon Native Housing Society can move ahead on a major housing project.

The Society has received 4.3 million dollars for a 37 unit apartment building for aboriginal and non-aboriginal seniors and youth.

Society Executive-Director Karen Gerein says there’s a big need for this.

” We do have long wait lists in Vernon. With wages the way they are we do see a lot of people who come in even though they are employed they simply can’t afford the rents that are out there right now.”

Karen Gerein says it’s exciting to offer new affordable housing for low income people.

“Anybody that’s facing homelessness or is homeless gets top priority with us and then the rest of the units are filled with people that do apply.”

She says the units will vary in size for singles to families.

” We didn’t want to just offer one bedroom units for students. We wanted to be able to offer housing for families whose family head also wanted to return to school.”

The units will range from studio to four bedrooms

The complex will go up in the 55 hundred block of 27th Avenue with construction beginning this fall and completion in the fall of 2018.