The Salient Group

Globe and Mail – Housing plan flourishes as market slumps
Group seizes chance to ease homelessness in New Westminster with space left over from commercial reno jobs that were put on hold

The economic downturn has resulted in a short-term shot in the arm for affordable housing in New Westminster.

With development plans for a trio of heritage buildings sidelined as a result of a deep chill in commercial real-estate financing, developer Robert Fung has turned over one of the buildings for use as social housing.

The building, which was vacant when Mr. Fung’s Salient Group acquired it in 2005, is to be managed by the non-profit Atira Women’s Resource Society and will provide 23 units for women and children who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

Provincial agency B.C. Housing has provided some financial assistance to renovate the building.

Salient has committed to the arrangement for at least two years. The neighbouring buildings have interim tenants.

“Philosophically we don’t like vacant space, because it has such a negative impact on the street,” said Mr. Fung, whose company has tackled several high-profile renovations of heritage buildings in Gastown and who sits on the board of Vancouver’s Streettohome Foundation.

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Homelessness is a community challenge…
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Streetohome Foundation is the first, broad community-based initiative designed to address homelessness in Vancouver. Our work brings together people from all sectors of our community: non-profits, community groups, business, governments and citizens.

Our goal at Streetohome is to build bridges and leverage the time, resources, expertise and funds of our entire community to ensure that all people in Vancouver have access to safe, decent, affordable housing by 2015.

Because we know that solving homelessness is not just about common decency, it is also about common sense.

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