YWCA Housing Updates: Fall 2023
As the cost of living continues to rise, safe, affordable housing options in the Lower Mainland are simply out of reach for many. Without bold action, the impact on families, communities and our cities will be felt for generations.
YWCA Metro Vancouver is committed to building innovative partnerships that will result in more housing for women and single mothers and their families. And we have some exciting projects in the works.
Cindy Beedie Place
Located at 4803 Canada Way, our new housing community named Cindy Beedie Place will include 41 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom homes co-located with an early learning and child care centre, that the YWCA will operate.
Our partners include philanthropist Cindy Beedie and donors through the Beedie’s Rock n the Park event, an anonymous donor, the City of Burnaby, the Province’s Building BC: Women’s Transition Housing Fund and the ChildcareBC New Spaces Fund. This much-needed on-site affordable child care for infants and toddlers will benefit the housing residents and community. The groundbreaking took place November 2 and the project is expected to be complete by late 2025.
"Today we are bringing together a vision I have had for many years of a place where vulnerable women and their children can live in safety, in a home offering the deepest levels of affordability” said Cindy Beedie, executive director, Beedie Foundation. “We also hope this project inspires leaders in other cities to build similar projects in their own communities.”
Grange Street, Burnaby
We are thrilled to share that we have completed our $14.2M Capital and Endowment Campaign for a new housing community on Grange Street in Burnaby.
These 32 units for single mothers and their children living on low and moderate incomes are in an excellent neighbourhood close to Metrotown, grocery stores, the Bob Prittie Metrotown library, Central Park and transit. In partnership with Qualex-Landmark, we are aiming for a fall 2025 completion date and look forward to welcoming 32 families to their new safe and affordable homes.
We are grateful for Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy program and our generous community of donors who are making this work possible.
Once both housing communities are complete, YWCA on-site staff will help build safe communities and connect families with wraparound support, including educational bursaries and pathways, legal support and employment and training opportunities.
We are exploring several new housing developments and are looking for funding partners and donors to make them possible. Please contact Brenda Ulmer for more information at bulmer@ywcavan.org | 604 290 5896.
