RICHMOND, B.C. — Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of housing and municipal affairs, recently issued a statement about the reasoning behind selecting a specific site for a six-storey supportive housing project on Sexsmith Road in Richmond after it was the subject of opposition.
“In summer 2024, we temporarily paused moving forward with the proposed supportive housing project at 3780 Sexsmith Rd. in Richmond so BC Housing staff could explore other potential sites,” he said.
“Since then, staff have evaluated five other locations within the community. Upon review, it was determined that these sites would not meet the needs for supportive housing for various reasons, such as location, lot size and proximity to key services.
“Furthermore, shifting to a new location at this stage would require new project designs, adding significant delays to project completion. After careful consideration and exploring all viable options within the community, we have determined the Sexsmith site remains the best option for a supportive housing site in Richmond.”
BC Housing is hoping to build approximately 90 supportive homes at Cambie Road and Sexsmith Road in Richmond. The intent behind the project is to help reduce the risk of people experiencing homelessness in the area.
Each unit would be a studio apartment with a bathroom, kitchenette and combined living and sleeping space. There would be a front reception office, a kitchen and dining area, indoor amenity space, a tenant support office, shared laundry facilities and bicycle parking.
The development was the subject of debate because some members of the community were concerned about increased drug activity.
“This project is crucial to helping address the urgent need for long-term, supportive housing to deal with the growing number of people facing homelessness in Richmond, which has increased 91 per cent since the pandemic to more than 160 people at last count,” explained Kahlon.
“There has been a significant amount of misinformation about this project. I encourage neighbours to engage directly with BC Housing on the project, either through the upcoming neighbourhood dialogue sessions, submitting questions and feedback directly to BC Housing, and learning more about the proposal online.”
The building will “have 24/7 staffing and security features, such as cameras, fencing and lighting. Clean-up teams will help keep surroundings tidy, and neighbours will be able to report concerns via a dedicated phone line with the housing provider,” he added.
Next steps include engagement sessions with neighbours which will start in March. Following the sessions, the site will be put forward to Richmond City Council for consideration.
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