From: Oliver and Area Affordable Housing Society
Letter To: Town of Oliver
” Housing is a major issue in our area, especially for our at risk populations. Oliver and Area Housing Society is working to try and combat these issues with a multi phase development over the south Okanagan. We are currently working towards phase 1, which is a collaboration between our society, Osoyoos Indian band, and Oliver Kiwanis Housing Societies, to create a 42 unit, mixed income development that is inclusive to all our community members. Our vision is to create a community, instead of segregating the different groups of people (families, seniors, individuals, first nations, income levels) that are really all struggling to find decent affordable housing here. We have secured a piece of land, and are currently working on the design and ground level engineering to become shovel ready in time for the next round of housing funding from both the provincial and federal government. We have already created a partnership with FortisBC and plan on making the project to the passive housing standards, because again as we all know, just because you can find affordable rent doesn’t mean that you can afford housing.
We will be unable to do the usual septic field that OIB generally works with. As such we are going to ask the Town of Oliver if we can tie into the towns water and sewer. Because we are building with low income in mind and are reliant on a certain percentage of funding to be viable, we are also going to be asking for a reduced rate, both for tying in, as well as subsequent use. As with the band, we are not asking for the Town of Oliver to cover any of our costs, However in consideration that the Band has offered the land to us we would ask that the town contribute towards the project in a similar manner, in that we believe that the partnership is beneficial to all of us. We however our belief is that this project has the opportunity of becoming a bridge between our 2 communities, and can serve as an example to other communities on how to work together to combat issues that effect all of us. “
The letter, the idea, the requests will be discussed at Monday’s Council Meeting.