Seniors housing project flooded with applicants

Tenants for Peachland complex funded by BC Housing to be chosen based on disabilities, special needs

Selecting tenants for a new seniors housing complex promises to be a challenging, time-consuming process.

Hundreds of people have applied for one of the 74 low-cost rental suites available to people aged 55 and older in the new five-storey complex nearing completion in Peachland.

“The first day alone, we had 110 applications,” Sharon Hallberg, president of the Peachland Seniors Support Society, said Thursday.

A three-person evaluation committee, separate from the society, will begin reviewing and ranking applications later this month or in September.

Although a low-cost seniors retirement building has long been a goal for Peachland, no particular preference can be given to residents of Peachland.

That’s because funding for the project, known as the Residences on Sixth Avenue, is coming from BC Housing. Tenants will be selected on the basis of criteria such as income and personal circumstances, such as disabilities or special needs.

“We’d like to be able to give preference to Peachlanders, or seniors who’ve moved away and want to come back to town, but BC Housing doesn’t really approve of that,” Hallberg said.

Most of the suites are 567-square-foot onebedroom units, many with a view of Okanagan Lake. There are 10 two-bedroom suites that cover 810 square feet.

The self-contained suites include balconies and come equipped with several major appliances. Building features include two sun lounges, a large kitchen-equipped common room, residents’ courtyard and onsite manager.

Monthly rents will range from about $780$900 for the one-bedroom units and $1,200 for a two-bedroom suite.

Applications are still being accepted, either online through the Peachland town website or at the Wellness Centre on Fifth Street. People chosen for occupancy should be informed of their eligibility in late September or October.

Hopes are for a second, similarly sized seniors retirement building, as the town has additional land available. However, no funding application has yet been made to BC Housing.

“We’d love to get a second building up eventually, but our first priority now is to finish this one and get everyone moved in,” Hallberg said.