Hornby Island is a tight knit community of folks from all economic backgrounds. As property values rise, the need for safe, affordable rental housing to keep treasured members of our community on-island has grown. With an aging population, the need for seniors housing has been particularly acute. In 1992, to respond to these needs, the Hornby Island Elder Housing Society was formed. The focus of the society was exclusively on the provision and maintenance of housing for Hornby Islanders age 55 and up. In 1998, the first residents were welcomed into the Elder Village.
Today, The Elder Village has grown and now is comprised of eleven duplexes and single homes. It provides safe, affordable housing for community elders. Located at 5775 Central Road, the Village is in walking distance to Hornby’s commercial and social hub. Since its creation, many long term residents have called this place home, and there is a substantial, and growing, list of individuals and couples who are interested in moving into the Village.
Built, maintained and managed largely by volunteer labour, the Elder Village was created almost entirely as a result of the financial support and involvement of Hornby Islanders. In 2008, the society received a one-time grant of $96,000 from BC Housing towards the completion of two duplexes. The Elder Village has been a wonderful success for the community, and it came about because of tremendous dedication and hard work by a host of enthusiastic community members.
The interesting history of how the Elder Village was built is described here.
Even with the success of the Elder Village, the demand for affordable housing on Hornby continues to grow. In 2005, The Islanders Secure Land Association (ISLA) was created as a non-profit society to address the housing needs of families and young people. ISLA’s objective was to facilitate construction of permanently affordable housing on Hornby Island, to maintain socioeconomic diversity and ensure that there is a supply of workforce housing available.
In June 2010, ISLA received 18.5 acres of land at 5040 Central Road from the Weiss Family. ISLA invested considerable volunteer time and effort to acquire this property, designate it for community housing and prepare it for development.
In the spring of 2018, the Hornby Island Elder Housing Society joined forces with the Islanders’ Secure Land Association (ISLA) to bring a new development into existence with the assistance of BC Housing. Hornby Island Elder Housing Society changed its name to Hornby Island Housing Society and changed its mandate from serving only seniors to serving the needs of people of all ages. ISLA donated its property zoned for community housing at 5040 Central Road to the newly named HIHS. ISLA board members joined up with the HIHS board members, and the rest is history, as they say…
What We Are Doing Now
The Elder Village continues to prosper. Meanwhile, development plans are progressing in partnership with BC Housing to build the Beulah Creek Village for families and islanders of all ages at 5040 Central Road. The current proposal is for a mix of 26 studio, one, two, and three bedroom homes. The design proposal will be made public as soon as it is approved by BC Housing. Check our blog on this website for the story of the Beulah Creek project and updates as they are published.
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