The Oliver Affordable Housing project was a collaborative effort between EllisDon, M’Akola Housing Society and BC Housing to provide affordable housing for singles, couples, families, seniors and persons with disabilities. The project addresses BC Housing’s mandate to develop a range of subsidized housing options across the province, and provides a simple & efficient project delivery method that benefits all stakeholders.

The project involved the construction of a new 46-unit affordable housing building in Oliver, British Columbia. The four-storey apartment building have a mix of 27 one-bedroom units, 15 two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units. Included in the mix are three accessible suites to suit the needs of persons with disabilities, one multipurpose room inside, one multipurpose space outside and communal laundry facilities. The building is targeted to also meet step code three performance targets, which will help maintain a lower operating cost and provide energy efficient homes for people living within. The exterior of the site has on grade parking and large areas of “activated” landscaping for the residents to take advantage of. The landscape plan features an irrigated turf boulevard with trees surrounding the development. The off-street parking spaces for the building will be one per dwelling unit, totaling 51 spaces. The new homes address the need for affordable housing across a range of income levels. Approximately 30% of the homes will be for middle-income households, 50% will be for low- to moderate-income households, and 20% will be for low-income households. The new rental homes gives families, seniors, and people with disabilities in Oliver, an affordable place within their community to call home.

Prior to entering into a forward purchase and sale agreement with M’Akola Housing Society, EllisDon purchased the property and developed a proposal which addressed the need for additional affordable housing in the Oliver area. Under the contract, EllisDon was responsible for leading the land development including re-zoning, development permitting and building permit along with the design and construction of the project.