The District of Houston council is to meet with an Indigenous services society to discuss the possibility of a housing project aimed at Indigenous people.
The Smithers-based Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre, which already offers a range of social services in Houston, asked for the meeting last year based on a move by the provincial government to increase the amount of affordable housing in the province.
But housing proponents must first demonstrate there is adequate municipal land for a project which can then be secured through a long-term lease.
“Therefore, along with requesting our support for our endeavours, we strongly encourage council to begin considering appropriate municipal land that could be expored for potential development,” wrote society housing advisor Lydia Howard in a letter to the District.
“The vast majority of the people our frontline staff support daily are facing housing challenges and many are either homeless or are at imminent risk of homelessness,” she said.
The society is seeking land within Telkwa and Smithers as well.
In pursuit of its goal, the freindship centre is working with the Lower Mainland-based Lu’ma Native Housing Society, an experienced housing provider which owns and operates an affordable housing portfolio of just under 500 units of housing.