Wachiay Affordable Housing Project, Courtenay

LOCATION
Courtenay, BC

CLIENT
Wachiay Friendship Centre

DESIGN / CONSTRUCTION
Completed

BUILDING SIZE
40 units

PROJECT / OCCUPANCY DATE
2020 – March 2025

CULTURAL & COMMUNITY IMPACT
Project is located on neighbouring site to Wachiay Friendship Centre, providing tenants with easy access to community events and the centre’s numerous services.

The finished affordable housing project is owned by the Wachiay Friendship Centre Society (WFC) and was built on land that they owned and used as a parking lot adjacent to the current Friendship Centre.  

The housing development is a five-storey, wood frame building with a total of 40 units, including an indoor amenity space. The target tenant group for this development was with all units designed as studios or one-bedroom units. Of the 32 one-bedroom units, 9 will are fully accessible, and the remaining 23 are adaptable.  

The project was funded BCH’s Community Housing Fund, CMHC through their SEED and Co-Investment programs, as well as FCM’s Green Municipal Fund. As well, the project has received funding from the Comox Valley Regional District through their Homelessness Support Service Funding. The level of affordability of the units at the Wachiay Affordable Housing project is governed by the CHF requirements: 30% of units at an Affordable Market Rate, 50% of units with Rents Geared to Income (RGI), and 20% of units at RGI Deep Subsidy Rates. 

MDS Services

• Site and land use planning 
• Coordinate municipal approvals 
• Business plan 
• Funding/financing applications 
• Capital and operating budgets 
• Procurement 
• Development and construction analysis and planning 
• Full development consulting, from concept to community