More than 100 new rental apartments open for low to moderate income seniors and families

Photo: Kristen Holliday

The six-storey Sunrise Centre is located at 167 Sixth Avenue, and includes 112 homes — a mix of studios, one and two bedroom units — created for residents with low to moderate incomes.

A housing development aimed at providing affordable rental homes for seniors and families opened this week in downtown Kamloops.

The six-storey Sunrise Centre is located at 167 Sixth Avenue, and includes 112 homes — a mix of studios, one and two bedroom units — created for residents with low to moderate incomes.

According to the province, who provided $11.2 million through BC Housing to help construct the project, monthly rents will range from $375 to $1,150 based on unit size and tenant income.

David Eby, attorney general and minister responsible for housing, said in a presentation to city council on Tuesday he hopes the housing development, among other projects underway in Kamloops, will take some pressure off the local housing and rental market.

“I’m really excited about the opening of the Sunrise Centre and other affordable housing units,” Eby said.

Mayor Ken Christian said the statement announcing the completion of the project was “very welcome.”

“I want to thank you and your government for the efforts that you have made to improve the situation in Kamloops,” Christian told Eby in council Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, affordability seems to be almost one step ahead of us because of the inflationary pressures within the housing sector but working on it, as we have been doing, is certainly made the issue at least a little bit better.”

In a news release on Friday, the province said it will contribute $466,000 in annual operation funding to the rental building.

The Sunrise Centre is owned and operated by the Centre for Seniors’ Information Kamloops.