Heart on the Hill apartments: LRCA’s latest project offers excitement and community
The beautiful Heart on the Hill building, a 36-unit apartment building for affordable living, is completed and being tenanted.
The Heart on the Hill community at 314 Buller Street is one featuring inclusive and accessible living.
Inside are studio, one bedroom and two-bedroom suites, many offering fantastic views of the Ladysmith Harbour. The building is located with walking distance of all Ladysmith amenities, including Transfer Beach, restaurants, grocery shopping, banks and the Ladysmith Health Centre.
There is access to public transportation. Washers and dryers are on each floor of the building. Several suites are built to accommodate wheelchairs.
The building includes a commercial kitchen and meeting area that residents can book for a community get together.
Applications were actively being accepted and a waitlist is now forming. If you have a low income, you can still apply through the BC Housing Registry HERE.
If you have a higher income, consider applying and checking availability by calling 250-597-0365 or emailing tenants@lrca.ca.
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To calculate rents based on income for the 15 one-bedroom and three two-bedroom units in this category, click HERE to find out more.
Details about the 11 units in the near-market rentals category can be found HERE.
GRAND OPENING: Well-attended grand opening of the LRCA Heart on the Hill building was held on March 25 with an official ribbon-cutting involving MLA Doug Routley, Rev. Deborah Rivet (blessing on behalf of Anglican Church) and Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone. Cake, snacks, video, tours and music by local Peace Love Joy Band and Ladysmith Brass was featured. LRCA is looking forward to the community enjoying the new 36-unit affordable housing project.
Click HERE for more opening details.
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This section of the LRCA website focuses on information related to the new building.
- You can go to the BC Housing website and fill out the online application, but a waitlist is forming. This is the link to apply: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/rental-housing/subsidized-housing
The project is called Heart on the Hill.
BC Government May 19, 2021 News Release for the project HERE (PDF)
FAQs
There are a total of 36 homes:
- 4 studio units
- 27 one-bedroom units
- 5 two-bedroom units
This distribution of unit types was determined by looking at community need.
As a BC Housing CHF project, the rental structure is as follows:
- 20% of units (7 homes) at the provincial assistance rate of $375 a month, available to applicants who are on income assistance, disability, or seniors on a basic pension.
Deep Subsidy Income Limits (CHF projects):
a) For residential units with less than two (2) bedrooms, a gross household income that does not exceed the maximum Old Age Security (OAS) plus Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) amount, as determined by BC Housing from time to time. For 2022, this figure is $21,946 (compared to $19,813 last year).
b) For residential units with two (or more bedrooms, a gross household income that does not exceed the maximum income threshold based on the income that would be required to pay 30% of income equal to the maximum shelter rate for a 3 person household, as determined by by BC Housing from time to time. For 2022, this figure is $26,600 (compared to $26,400 last year). - 50% of units (18 homes) with 'rent geared to income' (RGI) where rent is 30% of the tenant's gross monthly income. Maximum income limits apply.
- 30% of units (11 homes) at or near market rent, with rents to be determined closer to the building opening. Maximum income limits apply.
As a CHF project, The Heart on the Hill is mixed income rental that will house individuals with a wide range of ages, incomes, and abilities. This ensures diversity and helps build community.
The Ladysmith Resources Centre Association (LRCA) will own and operate the "Heart on the Hill" building.
The project’s capital budget (including construction) and operating budgets are tied to the building’s monthly mortgage payments. While separate from the day-to-day operations of the LRCA programs, the LRCA is financially and legally bound to the executed agreements.
BC Housing requires the building to be operationally sustainable and completes extensive financial reviews during the project design/development phase as well as conducts on-going annual financial reviews and periodically operational reviews.
The target group for the Buller Street project is "seniors, individuals with disabilities and families." Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are included in the category of "persons with disabilities."
As a BC Housing CHF project, the "Heart on the Hill"was designed as an affordable independent living building. While it is expected that some residents of the building may utilize LRCA’s nearby services such as the food bank, counselling, soup kitchen, income tax preparation etc., the building will not have 24/7 staff and tenant supports are not provided or funded.
Anyone can apply for the housing but current residents of Ladysmith will be prioritized. Applicants for Deep Subsidy and Rent Geared to Income homes must apply online at the BC Housing Registry. Those interested in living in the market rent units can apply to the LRCA. (Rents for those units will be determined closer to the building opening).
To apply for the subsidized units (i.e., the shelter-rate or rent-geared-to-income homes) please contact BC Housing Applicant Services at 604-433-22218 or 1-800-257-7756 (toll-free), 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays).
Or you may also apply online here.
LRCA staff will also be available to support you in completing an application form.
There are a number of factors that impact the size of a building, and which were taken into consideration including the size of the lot, City zoning, the ability for LRCA to carry the mortgage, etc.
There are 8 one-bedroom units that are fully wheelchair accessible with lowered countertops, light switches, and controls, plus larger than typical hallways, etc. There are also 19 adaptable one-bedroom units that can be efficiently and inexpensively modified as per tenants needs.
There is an on-site parking lot with 18 spaces as well as 11 dedicated street parking spaces along Third Avenue.
Two spaces are dedicated to disabled parking permits: one in the parking lot; one among the street parking.
Pat Edge, before she died in 2012, bequeathed her home to the LRCA, which through its sale, helped fund the purchase of Evangelist Anglican Church property for the project.
Read more about Pat Edge.
The church's bell, pinnacle of the steeple (given to Ladysmith Historical Society) and two pews were saved before demolition and those pews will be restored and used in the new building.