Construction is underway for a new seniors’ home in Burnaby, and politicians gathered at the site for an official ground-breaking last Thursday.
If all goes according to schedule, Derby Manor should open by spring 2017, and there will be 122 units for seniors. The George Derby Care Society will own and manage the new non-profit housing project, and B.C. Housing will lease eight of the units for people with lower incomes. Politicians in attendance for the ground-breaking included Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee, Housing Minister Rich Coleman and Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan. The City of Burnaby pitched in $1 million of its density bonus money for the housing project.
“There’s nothing Burnaby needs more than affordable housing for seniors,” Corrigan told the crowd at the ground-breaking event.
The provincial government didn’t contribute cash but helped arrange a $29.3 million mortgage. Of the 122 suites, 95 are one-bedrooms, while 14 will also have dens, and 13 will be two-bedroom units.
Seniors can rent the apartments for roughly $2,400 per month, which includes meals and all utilities. It will be an independent living facility, meaning there will be no onsite care for the residents. Derby Manor will be next to George Derby Centre, which cares for 300 seniors, many of them veterans. Seniors will be able to “age in place,” meaning they can rent the independent living units and then move to George Derby Centre next door if they need more advanced care as they get older. George Derby Centre and the Derby Manor construction site are both on Cumberland Street.
