Downtown housing pitched

Photo: Contributed

Affordable high-density housing could be coming to downtown Summerland, if a local non-profit housing society gets its way.

The Parkdale Place Housing Society met with mayor and council on Monday to express interest in a parcel of district-owned land adjacent to one of its existing properties and the Community Arts Council building.

The society operates 156 units of non-profit housing across three locations, mostly geared towards seniors, but executive director Christine Gray says this latest project would cater to all ages with both subsidized or market-level rents.

“We want to get our foot in the door,” she said, referring to apparent reawakened interest from other parties in the plot of land.

Gray envisions a three-story development that would provide affordable housing to both seniors and younger people who work in retail or hospitality and are in need of smaller studio apartments. Another portion of the units would be set aside for BC Housing, which Gray says is onboard with the tentative plan.

“Housing is critical in Summerland … the rental market is horrendous,” she said “It would be a win-win for everyone.”

Gray added that Downtown Summerland would also benefit from a new influx of local residents, noting that the society would also be open to helping with some of the upkeep in Memorial Park.

Mayor Peter Waterman said Tuesday that council was intrigued by the idea, and looks forward to seeing a more formal proposal later this year. But in a way, Gray said that the ball is in the District’s court, as it has to decide whether it will sell, or better yet, gift, the land to the society.

Waterman acknowledged the district has some work to do on the file, stating "it's not a small task."