Applications are now being accepted to live in Rossland’s new workforce housing development, presently under construction.
To qualify to live there at Rossland Yards, you must work for one or more Rossland employers for at least 30 hours a week, be recently retired from a Rossland business, or live in Rossland and work at a business elsewhere in the Lower Columbia Region. Further eligibility criteria include household income and asset limits.
There are 37 suits, of which 21 are one-bedroom (two of which are accessible), 12 are two-bedroom, and four are three-bedroom. Bike storage and other storage is provided for each unit along with shared laundry facilities for the one-bedroom units. The larger units have in-suite laundry.
The project, located at 2350 Spokane Street, is a joint effort by the City of Rossland, the Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society, BC Housing, Columbia Basin Trust and the green municipal fund delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the federal government. Rossland city hall will have be on the main floor, while the residential portion is on the upper storeys.
Exterior construction is nearing completion, with drywall and interior fittings now beginning. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy in March or April.
“There is definitely a lot of interest,” said Tanya Dale, administrator for the Lower Columbia Affordable Housing Society, which will manage the building.Â
“People are interested in what they need to do to apply, the criteria we’ve got for them, and about having the opportunity to have this time of housing in Rossland.”
Dale says applications for tenancy will be processed in the order they are received and assessed individually. They will check references and interview prospective residents. They hope to have the tenants identified by the time construction is complete.
“We understand process might seem a little daunting, but if anyone has problems or questions or need help, they can contact us,” Dale says.
Further information, including the application form, can be found at www.lcahs-apply.ca.