UBC Properties Trust is offering new assistance to residents from Hadgraft Wilson Place (HWP), a housing project operated by the Pathways Abilities Society and a building adjacent to the UBCO Downtown construction project. Financial aid was determined in consultation with a variety of stakeholders and is set to become available to residents shortly.
Each household is eligible to receive financial support of $12,000 to help tenants who have been displaced and face unexpected costs associated with renting and moving into new accommodations. Those entitled to these new financial supports were informed on July 2 by Pathways along with detailed instructions on how to receive payment. The financial package is an interim measure to offer much-needed help to affected residents but does not prevent them from advancing claims in the future.
“The lives of this group have been enormously impacted by the evacuation of their homes and the uncertainty that followed,” says Dr. Lesley Cormack, Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for UBC Okanagan. “We have been working hard with other stakeholders to be able to offer this support, and I am relieved it is on the way.”
In addition to support for residents, arrangements have been made with Pathways and BC Housing for UBC Properties Trust to carry out early mitigation efforts for the HWP building. UBC Properties Trust has begun shoring work in the HWP parkade and while it’s still too early to say when the building can be occupied again, UBC is encouraged by the recent pace of progress.
“Our priority has always been getting displaced residents back into their homes quickly, safely and prudently,” says Dr. Cormack. “This new financial assistance is a welcome development, but there is still much work to be done and that is where our focus will continue to be.”
The City of Kelowna adds that this additional relief for evacuated residents comes at a critical time. “City staff will continue to work with the team involved in stabilizing and assessing HWP to get people home as soon as possible. This support will provide needed relief for residents while further work takes place.”
Dr. Cormack says that progress made so far has been possible thanks to everyone working together. “While this situation has been very difficult for the residents, I am heartened by the way our broader community stepped up to help. The City of Kelowna, Okanagan College, Pathways, BC Housing and the provincial government are all at the table and singularly focused on finding long-term and pragmatic solutions that benefit both residents and the community at large.”
