Seniors’ residence almost open for applications

Application forms for homes in what’s certain to be Peachland’s most sought-after residential development are in the final stages of preparation.

Within a few weeks, it will be possible for people aged 55 and up to apply for tenancy in one of the 74 suites in a five-storey seniors building now under construction just off Beach Avenue on 6th Street.

“I think the demand is going to be huge,” Sharon Hallberg, president of the Peachland Seniors’ Support Society, said Tuesday.

“We know there are a lot of older people in Peachland ready to downsize, sell their homes and move into someplace smaller,” Hallberg said.

“And many people who’ve moved away from Peachland because they couldn’t find something like this are eager to return,” Hallberg said. “Some younger folks want to bring their parents to live in Peachland.”

Forty of the suites in the building, called Residences on 6th, will be offered for rent at going market rates. Currently, those are expected to be $900 a month for a one-bedroom unit, and $1,200 for a two-bedroom suite, though the numbers could change.

The rest of the suites will be offered at reduced rents, with amounts based on a person’s income. Currently, the projected rent for these units is about $780 a month for a one-bedroom, though people with lower-than-average income could pay less.

Hallberg says she’s getting calls every day from people eager to submit an application form.

The forms should be ready for distribution through the town hall by the end of the month or in early April.

While many people will want to get their application forms in right away, allocation of the suites is not a first-come, first-serve process, Hallberg stresses.

Applications will be reviewed by a third-party administrator, yet to be selected, and consideration will be given to such things as family income and special needs.

Peachland residents “may be considered for prioritization,” the town of Peachland says on its website.

Work on the project was delayed slightly because of inclement weather through the winter, and its now scheduled for completion next January with move-ins the following month.