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Cranbrook, BC (January 21, 2025) – Proposals are being accepted until April 21, 2025 by BC Builds and the City of Cranbrook for what is envisioned to be a new 30-unit mixed use apartment building, with social/community care or small-scale commercial use. The BC Builds Program is a partnership initiative, connecting landowners, developers, and housing operators to build housing for middle-income households.

The project site, located at 1501 1st Street South, in between the Baker Gardens Seniors Housing complexes near Baker Park. This location offers a prime opportunity for a mixed-use medium density development, with its proximity to the downtown, schools, and services.

“Inflation, high interest rates, and construction costs have driven up costs and rents, and the reality is not enough middle-income housing is being built. Cranbrook is feeling this pressure, along with so many other communities across the province,” says Mayor Wayne Price. “We are happy to be working with BC Builds on purpose built rental accommodation for middle-income people like teachers, nurses, and construction workers that we so strongly need in Cranbrook, as part of the recommendations coming from the Mayor’s Task Force On Housing. This is such a positive step forward for Cranbrook.”

You can view the full notice online here.

For those interested in submitting proposals or looking for more information, BC Builds and the City are jointly hosting an information session on Monday, February 3, 2025 from 3:30 to 4:30pm MT. You can sign up to attend online at https://www.bcbuildshomes.ca/1501-st-cranbrook. 

The provincial and federal government offer multiple funding streams for subsidized and low-income housing, but many middle-income working residents do not qualify for these programs and are still struggling to find appropriate and adequate housing. BC Builds, delivered by BC Housing, is working to fill that gap for middle-income earners. While it is not a low-income housing program, it is still important to provide for all housing needs in Cranbrook. 

With this initiative, we will hopefully see new development of rental homes for middle-income working people throughout BC to find housing they can afford in the communities where they live and work. 

Learn more about BC Builds at https://www.bcbuildshomes.ca/.

To learn more about development opportunities in Cranbrook, check out: https://www.choosecranbrook.ca/development-opportunities/.