Kimberley City Council has approved a building permit for a 39-unit housing complex along Fairway Drive.
“This is the latest in a series of residential multi-unit purpose-built rental projects in Kimberley,” said Mayor Don McCormick.
“We have two or three that are currently underway, and now we have this one. We’re pretty excited about it.”
The complex will have four townhouse buildings with a mix of 16 one-bedroom units and 23 three-bedroom units.
McCormick said the 2021 Housing Needs Assessment highlights a need for mixed housing types, particularly for families.
“The housing needs are very diverse and we need a lot of different types of housing, purpose-built rentals in particular,” said McCormick.
“Getting these multi-unit residential developments in place, where you get 30, 40 or 50 at a time is critical to providing some relief to people looking to live in Kimberley.”
The units will be market rentals rather than providing accommodations for affordable units.
“Affordable housing is not about social or income-tested housing anymore, it’s more broadly about accommodation that average people can afford,” said McCormick.
“This cost of construction and inflation has wreaked havoc with the cost of new builds. Navigating our way through all of it has become quite a challenge.”
McCormick said he is proud of city staff and the community for Kimberley’s recent growth.
“We seem to have a fair amount of success and momentum going forward right now. We are extremely thankful for that,” said McCormick.
Expected construction dates have not been set, as there are some conditions the developer must meet before they can break ground.
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