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Squamish council supports affordable housing project

Developer calls for partnership

Michael Hutchison is savvy when it comes to opportunity. With the economy gasping, affordable housing lacking and infrastructure emerging as something of a defibrillator, the developer has zeroed in on a unique proposal for low income rental housing in Squamish, a town with precious little.

As president of Bethel Lands Corporation, Hutchison makes it his business to build. But construction starts are down, financing is tricky and jobs are on the line. Still, there are safety mechanisms on offer, and yanking those levers will require a robust partnership between government and the private sector, something Hutchison is eager to create.

His vision unfolds on Government Road. It calls for purpose built rental housing, with Sea to Sky Community Services acting as landlord for people with low incomes. The units would be 700 square feet, boasting two bedrooms and standardized features, whether appliances, tubs or kitchens, which makes replacing and manufacturing more cost efficient.

“The buildings are designed so we can control the cost of construction,” he said. “Every nail — they’re the same.”

The province offers funding through B.C. Housing, but the partnership has to be strong.

“If it’s a fractured approach, they just turn around and put their money somewhere else,” he told council. “If it doesn’t have your enthusiastic support, it won’t fly.”

Like all partnerships, this one requires a bit of sacrifice. To make it financially viable, the district will have to wave development cost charges (DCCs), while trades need to drop their rates. According to Hutchison, the latter sacrifice has been made to the tune of 30 per cent. Council, meanwhile, expressed the sort of enthusiasm Hutchison was after.

“I’ve been an advocate of the private sector to partner up and try and build low income housing. If someone doesn’t grab these funds that are available, some other community will.”

If all goes according to plan, the first building could be up by January 2010. Further, Hutchison’s calculations promise approximately $8 million in local economic stimulation.

Hutchison has brought this idea to the district before. He filed notice to appear papers in November and gave a presentation to the last council. They offered their support conditional on public support. Director of Planning Cameron Chalmers has since met with Hutchison to discuss deferring DCCs.

“At this point, there doesn’t seem to be anything precluding it,” he said. “There are provisions in the legislation to wave development cost charges in certain cases.”

With council support in place, Hutchison expects to hear from the province next month.