Residents living in an affordable housing complex called the Cottages will know in late summer or early fall whether it will undergo redevelopment as the operator of the facility continues to study the project’s feasibility.
Karen Hope, executive director of Dawson Heights Housing, the non-profit facility operator of the Cottages, said it has the capacity to expand thanks to its current low-density footprint
“Through a redevelopment of the property Dawson Heights would expand the stock of quality, affordable housing in the city,” she said.
Hope said Dawson Heights Housing has not made yet any “substantive decisions” about the future of the Cottages other than to begin a conversation with current residents.
“Our board members and staff are sensitive to the concerns and anxieties that may be felt very acutely by existing residents of [the facility] and are committed to do what we can to assist where needed,” she said.
In the event of redevelopment, all current residents will receive “priority consideration” if they want to return to any development.
“We are approaching this process with as much transparency and accountability as possible in respect of our residents,” she said.
The affordable housing complex now awaiting the outcome of the feasibility study houses independent seniors aged 55 years and older and belongs to a trio of facilities on Cedar Hill Road that have supplied affordable housing for seniors since 1950.
“We currently operate 130 suites and provide housing for 145 residents on our site of six acres,” said Hope.
She said board members operating Dawson Heights Housing commissioned the feasibility study in late 2016 because of growing concerns about the state of Saanich’s affordable housing supply.
“Long waiting lists for affordable housing have become a fact of life in Victoria,” she said. “Our own ever-lengthening waitlist for independent housing is a testament to this growing need.”
When asked about the potential costs and designs of future development, Hope said she could not answer those questions. “We cannot comment on the total value of this redevelopment as we are in the very early stages of analysing the feasibility of redevelopment, and it is too soon for specifics such as design and costs,” she said.
News of the potential redevelopment comes against the backdrop of the proposed replacement of Townley Lodge.
The project first announced more than year ago has faced its share of obstacles including de-facto opposition from council and the surrounding community.
While the project appears to be moving forward, it required considerable massaging as the Greater Victoria Housing Society sought to earn what Saanich council called “social licence” for the project against the backdrop of public concerns over initial designs, which have subsequently undergone revisions. At one stage, it looked as if public opposition to the project would scuttle despite the stated need for more affordable housing.
Hope said it would not be appropriate for her to comment on another process in a different neighbourhood.
“That being said, we are committed to a continuous and robust community engagement,” she said.