Unceded territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt, and Tsawwassen First Nations (Surrey, B.C.) – A newly completed co-op housing redevelopment in Surrey, BC has nearly doubled the number of affordable homes at the Sunshine Housing Co-op, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, Community Land Trust (CLT) CEO Thom Armstrong and Surrey City Development Corporation President and CEO Michael Heeney announced today.

 “Creating a city where everyone matters means ensuring that all residents have access to safe and affordable housing,” said Mayor Locke. “That’s why the City of Surrey is proud to have partnered with BC Housing and Community Land Trust to deliver these much-needed homes at Sunshine Housing Co-op. The City contributed land valued at $2.8 million to support this project, initially through Surrey City Development Corporation, demonstrating our commitment to building a more inclusive community. Surrey will be the first city in B.C. to reach a population of one million people, making projects like this with deeply affordable housing more important than ever. It is essential that we give our growing population the opportunity to thrive and ensure that everyone has a place to call home.”

“This modern, welcoming mixed-income community is a great chance for Surrey families looking for a home to put down roots,” says Armstrong. “The Community Land Trust is a unique driver of co-op housing development in BC. We worked closely with the Province of BC and the City of Surrey to make housing like this possible, and we’re proud to deliver this new housing for both longtime members of the Sunshine Housing Co-op and new members that will be joining this community.”

 “We began working to create a new home for the Sunshine Co-op more than six years ago and are very happy to see these partners work together to facilitate the expanded Co-op at the new location,” says Heeney. "The story does not end here, and in many ways the best is yet to come, as we work to develop the former site and its adjacent property into a bold new community by the Gateway SkyTrain station.”

 “When people have an affordable home that’s close to family, school and work, they have the foundation they need to thrive in Surrey,” says Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “As people face rising costs, we’re making it easier for people with low and moderate incomes to find a home that fits their budget and building stronger, more inclusive communities across B.C.”

 The redeveloped Sunshine Housing Co-op provides a total of 69 units of co-op housing – a net increase of 30 homes – including studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, in a new six-story, wood-framed building. The project was made possible by grants of approximately $12.5 million from the province, through BC Housing. The City of Surrey contributed land worth $2.756 million. The previous Sunshine Housing Co-op was located on land leased from the City of Surrey at 10744 133rd Street. Thirty-four of these households have already moved to the new location.

 "We are incredibly grateful to be part of this caring community, where the managers are supportive, where the board listens to and respects our voices, where our children can safely play with others in the building, and where we enjoy friendly conversations with our wonderful neighbours,” said new Sunshine Housing Co-op members Pham Hong Vu Truong and Nguyet Bao Tram Do. “We feel lucky and proud to be members of Sunshine Housing Co-op. It is not just a building, but a community where we belong."

 The Sunshine Housing Co-op project was among the successful proposals of the 2018 Community Housing Fund call. It is the result of a partnership between the Province, through BC Housing, the City of Surrey and Community Land Trust (CLT). Monthly housing charges at Sunshine range from $445 for a studio to approximately $3,000 for a three-bedroom home, depending on home size and household income. CLT is currently accepting applications for one- and three-bedroom homes at Sunshine Housing Co-op.

 “As our communities grow, more rentals are being built than ever,” says Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey Centre. “These 69 new, affordable homes will help the people who power Surrey’s hospitals, schools and businesses find the home they need in the community they love.”

 This project is part of BC’s $19-billion investment in homes for people and actions to drive the construction of more homes people can afford. Since 2017, the Province has more than 93,250 homes delivered or underway, with actions underway to help deliver thousands more homes over the next 10 years.

Community Land Trust is Canada’s largest non-profit housing developer focused on co-ops. CLT currently has more than 40 co-ops in their portfolio, with more than 2,600 occupied homes and another 800 homes in development or under construction in Victoria, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Kelowna and North Cowichan.