A short note from David Eby's blogspot
Tuesday, October 21, 2008:

A shipping container, your new Olympic housing legacy

The Provincial government has announced their intent to covert shipping-container-like temporary housing (i.e. "modular housing") to permanent housing across the province, as the "Olympic housing legacy" we were all waiting for. Below is the absolutely not-ironic-but-man-it-sounds-like-it-came-from-the-Onion press release.

The "modular housing" is visible from Highway 99 as you pass through Whistler, stacked up on the east side of the highway. Welcome to the future of social and affordable housing...

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For Immediate Release - Oct. 21, 2008 - Office of the Premier - Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

PROVINCE AND VANOC PARTNER TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS IN BC
VANCOUVER - An agreement between the Province of British Columbia and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) will create up to 156 units of permanent affordable housing for people most in need across B.C., Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.

"Through Olympic Legacy Affordable Housing, we will provide affordable supportive housing to help break the cycle of homelessness in communities across our province," said Premier Campbell. "This agreement builds on the progress of the Housing Matters BC provincial housing strategy and helps meet the critical goal of sheltering the homeless and providing support services to those most in need."

Almost two years in the making, this agreement is made possible from the participation of a number of government and corporate partners. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Province and VANOC proposes to reconfigure 320 temporary modular housing units from the Olympic and Paralympic Village at Whistler and relocate and convert them as 156 permanent, affordable housing units to six communities across the province: Chetwynd, Chilliwack, Enderby, Saanich, Sechelt and Surrey.

"We are committed to increasing the supply of affordable, supportive housing so that people have a stable base to improve their lives," said Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman. "To accomplish this, we need partnerships - with VANOC, with local governments and with community organizations - to find innovative housing solutions."

The total capital cost of the Legacy Project is approximately $43.6 million. The initial construction of the temporary modular units at the Olympic and Paralympics Village at Whistler will be approximately $18.2 million, of which VANOC will provide $9.4 million with additional support from RONA, Britco and other sponsors.

The Province will contribute over $20 million for the relocation, reconfiguration and site preparation costs in the six communities. A total of $5.4 million in land value will be contributed by Chetwynd, Saanich, Sechelt and Surrey and by the Province in Chilliwack and Enderby.

"We have an obligation to provide short-term athlete housing as well as a mandate to ensure there are meaningful social, environmental and economic legacies from the 2010 Winter Games," said John Furlong, chief executive officer, VANOC. "We are pleased to be part of this solution to provide permanent Olympic Legacy Affordable Housing as soon as possible after the close of the 2010 Winter Games."

Under this MOU, VANOC will design and construct the 320 temporary modular housing units for use in Whistler, which are in addition to the 100-unit lodge and 20-unit townhomes that will be permanent housing units at the Whistler Athletes Centre in the Olympic and Paralympic Village. The Province will then pay for the design, relocation, sitework, and modifications of these temporary modular units into legacy housing in the six communities.

The specifications for the design will be agreed upon between the Province, VANOC and local partners, and will ensure that the design and construction achieve high sustainable standards to promote energy efficiency and minimize any environmental impact. The Province, through BC Housing, will also be issuing an invitation to non-profit housing societies to submit proposals to manage and operate the developments that don't already have local non-profit societies as partners.

"These Games will provide many long-term benefits for the citizens of British Columbia in the form of sporting venues and infrastructure,"said René Fasel, chair of the Vancouver 2010 Coordination Commission, International Olympic Committee. "By leveraging the short-term housing needs for Games athletes with a long-term solution, Vancouver 2010 and its partners have developed a significant Games' [sic] legacy: providing affordable housing for people who need it most."

"The City of Surrey is pleased to partner with the Province and VANOC to provide affordable housing with support services to our most vulnerable citizens," said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts. "This is another important project that will allow Surrey to work towards eliminating homelessness in our city."

[. . .]

The modular units will be used by VANOC during the Games then relocated to the six communities across B.C. and reconfigured to include a kitchen and bathroom in each unit. Increasing affordable housing, reducing homelessness and helping those who cannot help themselves is a key agenda for the Province of British Columbia. Budget 2008 increased the amount the Province invests in affordable housing and shelters to more than $400 million a year, more than three times as much as in 2001.

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Media contact:
Bridgitte Anderson
Press Secretary - Office of the Premier - 604 307-7177

Katie Green
Media Relations - VANOC - 778 328-6473