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SOUTH SURREY Reprieve expected for Peninsula Estates B.C. Housing to unveil strategy next week
By Steven Addison
Staff Reporter
Oct 03 2006
B.C. Housing is expected to outline a strategy next week to address mould and structural problems at South Surrey’s Peninsula Estates.
Paul Wheeler, executive director of the society that runs the subsidized housing complex, expects to find out details of the plan during a meeting with B.C. Housing officials next Tuesday.
“B.C. Housing has been working on this thing quite diligently. They have been in discussions with (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation),” he said.
“They have a proposal to put to my board.”
Peninsula Estates is 70-unit apartment and townhouse complex located near 152 and 20 Avenue.
A third of residents are low-income or developmentally disabled, and receive rental supplements.
Many of the units have mould and moisture problems, caused in part by structural problems with the 25-year-old building.
According to a B.C. Housing report, it could cost more than million to fix the problems.
“There is a sense of urgency for me,” said Wheeler, adding many of the issues could be curtailed if residents follow measures, such as using fans to combat moisture.
“The problems we have continue to be there’s a fair number of people who don’t want to do the things to their units needed to ventilate them.”
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which built Peninsula Estates in 1982, will transfer control of operations to B.C. Housing next year.
Wheeler is optimistic changes will finally take place under B.C. Housing.
“Their attitude and their commitment to getting in there and getting something happening is pretty impressive.”
BC Housing’s Darin Froese said Tuesday’s meeting will be used to outline short-term solutions to deal with mould and moisture, and to identify a long-term plan to address structural problems.
“The long-term work, in terms of building envelope repairs, usually takes nine months to a year to get started,” he said.
“We think we’re going to come up with a pretty good solution. The start is presenting the information next Tuesday.”
BC Housing has offered to help relocate Peninsula Estates tenants who feel their health is at risk due to the mould and moisture. Froese said one tenant has asked to be relocated to another social housing complex.
Source: Peace Arch News |
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