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Construction starts on affordable housing in Burnaby for moms leaving violence

'This housing project will create a brighter future for women and families who have endured hardships and struggles.'
Lauren Vanderdeen
Lauren Vanderdeen

An affordable housing development for low-income single moms and families fleeing violence is now under construction in Burnaby.

Cindy Beedie Place will include 56 affordable long-term homes and a 37-unit child-care facility for toddlers and pre-schoolers at 4803 Canada Way.

The rental rates are expected to be $695 a month for a two-bedroom and $790 for a three-bedroom; the rates will be confirmed closer to the building’s completion in summer 2025, according to YWCA Metro Vancouver CEO Erin Seeley at a press conference Nov. 2.

The development includes 41 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom homes to accommodate different family sizes.

The project was a partnership between BC Housing, the Beedie Foundation, the YWCA Metro Vancouver and the City of Burnaby.

Cindy Beedie, executive director of the Beedie Foundation, said she had a vision of building affordable housing for mothers that was co-located with a daycare.

“Having the child-care located within the project will provide new opportunities and choices that mothers wouldn’t have otherwise, give the freedom to pursue their dreams and their education for themselves,” she said at the press conference.

Beedie said she went to “many different municipalities” with her plan and noted the project wouldn’t have happened without Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley’s support.

The City of Burnaby has leased the land to BC Housing for a nominal rate for 99 years. A city report states council also approved a financial contribution from its affordable housing reserve towards capital development costs of the building but did not state an amount.

The Beedie Foundation will provide the capital and ongoing resident subsidies for affordable child-care, the YWCA will operate the housing and child-care facility and BC Housing will provide capital and operating funding for the apartment building.

The total capital budget is about $45 million, made up of a grant from BC Housing for $40.2 million. The daycare capital cost was about $5 million, according to Tim Chamberlin, spokesperson for BC Housing.

Hurley said the project will create “much-needed homes for women and families” in the community.

“This housing project will create a brighter future for women and families who have endured hardships and struggles.”

Erin Seeley, CEO for YWCA Metro Vancouver, said the need for affordable housing is greater than ever.

She said almost 60 per cent of single-parent households are living below the poverty line and noted more than 1,000 families are on the YWCA housing waitlist.

MLA Burnaby North Janet Routledge said the home will provide women and children in Burnaby with safe housing to build a path forward.

“Too many women and gender diverse people continue to face violence, sexism and discrimination in their everyday life,” Burnaby North MLA Janet Routledge said.

“These are the kinds of partnerships we need to address the housing crisis and support vulnerable people in our communities,” she added.