A proposal for a five-storey, 28-unit affordable housing project that will cater mainly to adults with disabilities was unanimously given the first three readings at North Cowichan’s council meeting on May 7.
The Duncan-based Parhar Group, a family-run firm that specializes in residential and commercial construction management, has partnered with the non-profit Clements Centre for Families, which provides services for people with disabilities, to build the project at 2731 Vian St., which is located close to the Cowichan Community Centre.
The partners intend to secure funding for the project through BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund.
A staff report by North Cowichan’s development planning coordinator Rachel Pukesh said the exact structure of the 2025 Community Housing Fund is not known at this time, but the last CHF 2023 structure dictated 50 per cent of the units that are built using CHF funding must be rent geared to income, 20 per cent must be deep-subsidy units, and the remaining 30 per cent are to be market rent housing, which BC Housing still considers affordable housing for people with moderate incomes.
The rent-geared-to-income and deep-subsidy units would be occupied by adults with developmental disabilities who live independently in the community and are currently supported by the Clements Centre for Families,
“In September of 2024, BC Housing awarded this project [funding] to assist in the upfront costs associated with progressing this development through the approval stages,” Pukesh said.
“Staff see this funding award as an early recognition of BC Housing’s inclination to fund this project through the CHF.”
When the Parhar Group and the Clements Centre first brought their project idea before North Cowichan’s council in July, 2024, to gauge the municipality’s support for it, Dominic Rockall, CEO of the Clements Centre, said the centre’s interest in being part of the project stems from the fact that many people the centre supports have been priced out of the rental market.
“For the first time in the history of our agency, we are supporting people who are homeless, so affordable housing has leaped to the top of our priority list,” Rockall said at the time.
A number of issues have still to be worked out before North Cowichan’s council considers giving the project the fourth and final reading, including how much development-cost charges and contributions to community amenities the project’s partners will be required to pay, as well as parking arrangements.
But all members of council were optimistic about the project proceeding as a wholly affordable housing project if BC Housing provides funding for it.
Mayor Rob Douglas said the proposal aligns with North Cowichan’s Official Community Plan, including its focus on increasing residential housing densities in the municipality’s growth centres.
“It also, for the most part, aligns with our University-Village local area plan which envisions significant housing development in this core area of our entire Cowichan Valley Regional District, which is located in close proximity to many of our local businesses, including in the Duncan area, but also our main civic facilities,” he said.
“Another thing I like about this project is its strong focus on affordable housing.”
