Federal government gives Whistler employee housing stock a boost

Employees in Whistler will soon have access to a new 24-unit affordable rental housing building with the help of the National Housing Strategy’s Rental Construction Financing initiative and Affordable Housing Innovation Fund.

MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, and Mayor Jack Crompton made the announcement on July 15th.

The federal government is investing $7.3 million for construction of the 4-story building that includes 4 studio, 13 one-bedroom and 7 two-bedroom homes. All of which will meet affordable housing criteria, with seventeen homes having rents well below 30% of the area’s median household incomes. The homes will be managed by the Whistler Housing Authority.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Innovation Fund is investing $1.7 million, responding to the project’s Passive House design that sets out to achieve high levels of energy performance while meeting strict affordability criteria.

“This funding and support by the federal government improves the affordability of the project, which will provide 53 new affordable rental beds for Whistler’s workforce… As the continued owner of the building, we know that we’ll be able to realize operational savings through the reduced energy costs of Passive House construction.” says Marla Zucht Whistler Housing Authority General Manager.