Moving day
Development, Housing, Indigenous Nations

Rainbow Ridge: Preparing for the next round of funding

 Rainbow Ridge is not one of the six Vancouver Island projects that BC Housing is funding this season. 

“We suspected that was a possibility because there were so many applications and so much need across the province. We definitely had our fingers crossed and hoped we would be accepted but, unfortunately, we were not,” said Elizabeth Anderson, President of the Cortes Community Housing Society (CHS).

illustration courtesy Cortes Community Housing Society

Homes for Twenty families

Project coordinator Sandra Wood spoke in terms of the twenty families who had hoped they would have a more permanent rental homes next year.

 “As a result, some of those people are going to leave the island. The rest of them will keep hanging on and doing the island shuffle, from seasonal rental to seasonal rental. We know that’s hard, that’s the whole reason we are doing what we are doing. It is a sad situation that I wish we had a faster solution for.”  

 Anderson added, “It still bothers me so much that one of the more vulnerable people, who lived on this island for many, many years, was looking for safe housing. Before he could find it, his unsafe housing burned down around him.”

Wood said, “A lot of our community members have to move twice a year. Moving out in June or July … when the owners return … and having to seek new accommodation again in September. It is so stressful for them and such a loss of productive energy. It is not a good use of their time and does not contribute to our island economy.” 

Some of the island’s most creative are caught up in this. Wood observed that the time consumed by these moves could be used “creating events, creating art” or serving on the board of the island’s many volunteer organizations. 

Where Rainbow Ridge is today

“It is a huge cost and that is why the Housing Society has worked so hard to bring this to where we are today. I want to give a big shout out to all of our supporters, all of the donors who have helped us to purchase this incredible piece of land and all of the people who have helped us do the predevelopment and design that we have accomplished in just three short years,” said Wood. 

“We have to remember how much we have accomplished together. Even though we are disappointed that we weren’t selected to start construction this year, it is just a matter of time. We know the next steps we have to take.”  

The Accepted Projects

BC Housing funded close to 2,500 housing units in 41 communities throughout the province. 

The six successful Vancouver Island applicants were:

  • Duncan, 280 First St.: 134 homes for seniors and people with disabilities, in partnership with Duncan Housing Society
  • Qualicum Beach, Qualicum Way: 56 homes for individuals, families and people with disabilities, in partnership with Qualicum Parksville Kiwanis Housing Society
  • Courtenay, 1679 McPhee Ave.: 40 homes for Indigenous peoples, in partnership with Wachiay Friendship Centre Society
  • Comox, 1582 Balmoral Ave.: 52 homes for seniors, in partnership with Comox Valley Affordable Housing Society
  • Port Alberni, 4210 Cedarwood St.: 35 homes for Indigenous peoples, in partnership with Citaapi Mahtii Housing Society
  • Tofino, 351 Arnet Rd.: 37 homes for individuals, families, seniors and people with disabilities, in partnership with Catalyst Community Developments Society

“The good news is that a number of First Nations applications were accepted in this most recent round, and also a number of projects in Northern BC and rural areas. The need is great, whether you are living in a city, or a village or an island like us,” said Wood.

The Next steps

She explained that a number of factors beyond their control may have resulted in Rainbow Ridge being passed over this time.

“I know that the COVID delay in rezoning Rainbow Ridge had a knock on effect. It delayed us submitting our subdivision plan. That is currently with the Ministry of Transportation, for them to approve: our road design, our drainage plan and our stormwater system. We’re hoping to have that confirmed over the next few months. In addition, there are things like securing a water license – even though we did a lot of the hydrology work with the help of a consultant. We know there’s water, a good, abundant aquifer below Rainbow Ridge, but we need to apply to the province for a license and then to drill a well. Things like that are important next steps,” said Wood.

“By the time we make the next grant application to BC Housing, we’ll have more ducks in a row than we did this time. We have really good leadership in this, through Ian Scott and Sandra Wood, and I have no doubt that we will be accepted,” said Anderson.

Wood added, “We do not know whether the next BC Housing intake will be in six months, or a year, or even longer. That will be a question that we ask them at our formal debrief on Monday, June 28. They may not know when that next grant intake will be because they have a lot on their plate with all the construction projects they will be starting this year.”

Top photo credit: Moving Day by Cambodia4kids.org Beth Kanter via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)

Sign-up for Cortes Currents email-out:

To receive an emailed catalogue of articles on Cortes Currents, send a (blank) email to subscribe to your desired frequency: