Greater Victoria Housing Society
2326 Government St V8T 5G5 Victoria, BC, Canada

Home for rent: Be the first one to live in your own quiet, light-filled apartment in our brand new building at 1780 Townley Street! In a beautiful park-like setting close to shops, amenities and Royal Jubilee Hospital, Townley Place is a new affordable apartment building for seniors 55+ or persons with disabilities. Townley Place is built to Passive House design, which means minimal heating bills and greater year-round comfort!... Studio and one-bedroom available. Interested? You must meet income and asset requirements and be 55+ or a persons with disabilities to qualify. Your total gross monthly income must be between $3,200 - $6,311, and your assets must be less than $100,000. - No pets - No smoking - Tenants must have or obtain rental insurance - Households must meet National Occupancy Standards - Parking available Greater Victoria Housing Society is a non-profit housing provider that has been providing affordable rental housing since 1956. Please email [email protected] or call 250.384.3434

330 Goldstream is built using Passive House standards and recent tests show that we exceed the airtightness requirements. Early modeling indicates also we are on target to exceed the highest level of the Building Code: Step Code 4 The restriction of air movement by the air barriers system is one of the most important functions of the building enclosure. Airtightness is important to reduce transmission of water, vapour, heat energy, and airborne contaminants.

A big thank you to the Provincial Employees Community Services Fund (PECSF) upon receipt of our semi-annual donation! This generous gift is made possible by the dedication of BC Public Service employees volunteering to represent PECSF, by promoting the campaign and canvassing co-workers, and for this we are grateful. Are you in the BC Public Service? We encourage you to choose to support GVHS!

We wish you and your family a safe, happy holiday season. We look forward to 2021 with renewed hope and optimism for the new year.

What's your Christmas wish?

GVHS understands that this is a difficult time for many. The stresses and isolation of the winter holiday season affect many people, even without the pandemic. If you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn, please consider calling BC211. Simply dial 211 from any phone, or go to www.BC211.CA. They offer immediate help and referrals with everything from food and basic goods, mental wellness counselling, and legal assistance, to help with transportation, financial assistance, and employment opportunities. As their website says, life isn’t always easy, but finding help can be. Also in this issue of the Tenant Connection Newsletter: the winners of our nature-themed tenant art & writing contest! https://www.greatervichousing.org//GVHS-Newsletter-Issue-1

Update! The public hearing is complete and the Township of Esquimalt Council has voted unanimously to support the bylaw reading for 874 Fleming - the redevelopment of Esquimalt Lions Lodge. Next step is a Development Permit. Esquimalt Lions Lodge is a 4-story 77-unit building located at 874 Fleming Street, settled within the Esquimalt neighbourhood located near a high school and many employment opportunities. GVHS plans to redevelop the site into a 6-story 137-unit affordable... rental building. The current building has been in operation well past its effective life, has only one elevator servicing all tenants, and is not barrier-free to those in need of universally accessible lobbies, corridors, and units. The building will be built to a minimum of Step 3 to the new BC Energy Step Code. We are aiming for Step 4 the highest level of efficiency.

Wow! Take a virtual tour of Townley Place. This is what affordable housing looks like! Townley Place is our first redevelopment project. We have replaced a 50 year old building with a modern 54 unit apartment building for seniors and 10 family townhouses. The project is being built to PassiveHouse standard meaning our tenants will enjoy more affordability as their heating bills will be minimal.

We seek to continuously improve our environmental, economic and social performance. We strive for best practices in energy conservation and energy efficiency in our buildings.

Dowler Lodge is a rent-geared-to-income seniors apartment building. Built in 1988, it is a six-storey concrete building with 65 one-bedroom apartments, and one two-bedroom apartment for seniors and adults with disabilities. Nearby neighbourhood amenities include parks, playgrounds, public transit, Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, the shops of Quadra Village, and Royal Athletic Park.

It was an honour to have the Parsons at Brentwood nominated for the Victoria Real Estate Board Commercial Building Awards. Congratulations to all the nominees & winners.

Every year GVHS staff donate money and gifts to create children’s gift bags. Children who live in our housing are invited to colour a Christmas picture. Each child who gives us a drawing has a chance of winning one of the three gift bags. Watching the children’s faces when they open up the bags is one of the highlights of the season!

The days are shorter, the nights are longer, and our part of the Island just got a whole lot colder. With a second wave of COVID-19 well underway, and cases across Canada rising, many of us will not be able to connect in person in the ways we usually would during the coming months. Therefore, it’s time to get creative and find new ways to connect! GVHS is introducing some new tenant activities to help bring us all together in different ways. We hope you are inspired to join in! Check out this and more in the Tenant Connection Newsletter. https://www.greatervichousing.org//GVHS-Newsletter-Issue-1

Townley Place is nearly ready for occupancy. Take a look at this 54-unit seniors building. We are taking applications now: https://www.greatervichousing.org/all-buildi/townley-place/

Check out these photos of the Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) at Townley Place. It is the first Passive House Certified HRV on Vancouver Island. Our building is Net Zero ready and meets the highest level of the BC Building Code: Level 4. These are significant achievements to meet our environmental goals.

Statement from the Board of Directors, Greater Victoria Housing Society November 13, 2020 (Victoria, BC) - The Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS) Executive Director, Kaye Melliship, has announced that she will retire in April 2021. The Board of Directors is immensely grateful to Kaye for her leadership of GVHS and wishes her all the best.... We will truly miss Kaye. Under her guidance, GVHS is well-equipped for transition. She has developed a strong and professional executive management team and staff, whose resilience and commitment to excellence has been especially proven this year as we have dealt with Covid-19 and the associated challenges. said Lisa Edwards, board chair. The Board of Directors is likewise strong and engaged, and ready to embrace the opportunity to recruit a new Executive Director for the next phase of GVHS’s growth. Further details regarding the recruitment of a new Executive Director will be available in early 2021. Kaye will stay on to ensure a proper transition to a new Executive Director. Please join us in congratulating Kaye Melliship on her 15 years of service to the Greater Victoria Housing Society and the many accomplishments during her tenure.

GVHS - The Ghostly Victorian Haunted House Society - wishes you a Happy Hallowe'en! In all seriousness, we wish you a safe and fun Hallowe'en.

This Remembrance Day, we would like to thank our tenants who have served in the armed forces, from WWII to modern day. We are so grateful for your service.

As we get ready for Halloween this weekend, here are a few safety tips. Check out the latest Tenant Connection Newsletter to learn more, or visit BC CDC for current info! Stay safe out there. No Matter How You Celebrate Halloween This Year: Stay home if you are sick or isolating Include a mask that covers your nose and mouth as part of your costume ... Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often Skip Halloween Parties For Now: Celebrate with your favourite scary movie or other traditions that you can do with your household or social group. https://www.greatervichousing.org/news/

Making the back door as friendly as the front door for bicycles, scooters and pedestrians accessing our proposed redevelopment of Colwood Lodge (1901 Jerome, Colwood). What do you think of this rendering of the back entrance?