VANCOUVER – The award-winning Mole Hill Community Housing Development celebrated its grand opening June 5, 2004 with the completion of two phases of restored heritage homes; a newly landscaped city block; and a pedestrian friendly lane. The development, which includes 170 units of affordable housing for individuals with low to modest incomes, occupies a city block in Vancouver's West End bounded by Comox, Thurlow, Pendrell and Bute streets.
"The Province is significantly expanding affordable housing for people in need, in partnership with non-profit associations and other levels of government," said Murray Coell, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services and Minister responsible for Housing. "We've added 2,850 units in the past three years, with another 550 under construction. Mole Hill is an excellent example of this growth, as well as an innovative plan to revitalize a neighbourhood while preserving some of its oldest houses."
Mole Hill is Vancouver's only intact Victorian and Edwardian neighbourhood, with 36 houses built between 1888 and 1942. The Mole Hill Community Housing project includes 27 vintage homes. The YMCA operates a children's daycare centre in one of the houses, and the recently constructed Dr. Peter Centre and Hospice, serving people with HIV/AIDS, is also located on the block.
"The restoration of the Mole Hill neighbourhood is the culmination of many years of work," said MLA Lorne Mayencourt. "Working in partnership with the Mole Hill Community Housing Society and the City of Vancouver, we have created award-winning affordable housing that is vital to sustaining healthy and inclusive communities."
The development has recently received two awards. In April 2004, Mole Hill was given a City of Vancouver Heritage Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in the areas of urban renewal, heritage conservation, and community advocacy. In March 2004, Kindred Construction received the Canadian Construction Association's Environmental Achievement Award for its work on the development.
"Mole Hill shows what a community can achieve through creativity and commitment," Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell said. "Working together with the province and the city, the residents, neighbours and friends of Mole Hill have successfully preserved a unique piece of Vancouver's past, and an important stock of the West End's affordable housing."
"This is a great day for the entire community," said Blair Petrie, coordinator of the Mole Hill Community Housing Society. "We have worked long and hard to bring our vision of restoring an historic and derelict part of Vancouver to reality and Mole Hill has become a wonderful success."
The Mole Hill development demonstrates significant heritage achievement in a number of areas including the rehabilitation of 27 original period homes with new foundations and fully updated building services and fire and life safety systems. The original streetscapes have been preserved; some out-of-character later additions have been removed and the original appearance restored; and most of the original interior character has been retained or restored.
This year, the provincial government will contribute $154.4 million in funding to subsidized housing. Since June 2001, the government has committed funding for construction of about 3,400 housing units across B.C. To date, about 2,850 of these units have been completed, and about 550 units are currently under development.
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