Mayor calls for low-cost housing in Central Park

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is proposing to build affordable housing in Central Park alongside a new Crystal Pool, instead of surface parking.

Helps with councillors Marianne Alto and Margaret Lucas are recommending that city staff, working with community stakeholders, develop a request for proposals or expression of interest to build underground parking for 100 cars topped with up to six floors of affordable housing and community space, in place of surface parking in Central Park.

One of the questions the councillors want answered is whether the city could use the parkland, at Quadra Street between Queens Avenue and Pembroke Street, for housing without holding a referendum.

“I think the issue the community has is with a parking lot in the park. So if the proposed housing/child care/newcomers space can be very close to the same footprint as the parking lot would be anyway, then I think it would probably be preferable to have housing there than a parking lot,” Helps said in an interview.

The housing would not be built by the city, whose role would probably be limited to providing the land, Helps said.

“The city doesn’t build housing. There are lots of very capable non-profits who do build housing.”

As part of the proposal, the three have included a letter of support from Malcolm McNaughton, B.C. Housing director regional development, saying B.C. Housing would be willing to partner with the city on the project to provide funding and financing.

The proposal suggests any ground floor community space would, at a minimum, be able to accommodate a welcome centre for newcomers to Canada, a child care facility, community kitchen and space for youth, seniors and other groups.

The 2016 census shows the area is “the fastest growing, largest immigrant population and lowest income area of the city. So more affordable child care and affordable housing just seems like a natural fit. Especially when that footprint would be for parking anyway,” Helps said.