It’s a creative housing idea for local artists<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New affordable rental units are opening for seniors who devoted their lives to the performing arts. Senior artists like former DJ Ellie O\u2019Day<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMost people in the arts realize by the time they hit their 50s that they’re going to have an issue with housing in this city,\u201d she explained<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nine-story building in New Westminster boasts 66 units for low-to-moderate-income seniors ages 55 and over<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rents range from $800 a month for a bachelor to $1,350 for a one bedroom, and the building sports new kitchens, laundry machines, and a rooftop garden. The units are a leg up from the shared accommodations many artists find themselves living in later in life<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c(We see) artists living 16 to a house,\u201d said Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGetting together and renting a house, but then if they\u2019re renting and the owner decides to sell, that’s what we\u2019re seeing a lot of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lynn Ross \u2013 the executive director of the Performing Arts Lodge (PAL), the local non-profit that led the project \u2013 said many retired artists struggle to find affordable housing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere really aren\u2019t a lot of options for people, certainly seniors,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you’re a performing artist you don’t earn \u2026 money for your future, you don’t necessarily have a job with a pension.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving affordable homes for performing artists is really \u2026 a dream for a lot of them to be in their community and age in place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The non-profit said this housing will allow artists to live together and continue creating art, something O\u2019Day said makes her very happy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis allows us to work together,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause the arts collaborate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Money for the project came from the province, B.C. housing, and the private sector<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prospective tenants will have to apply through PAL\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s a creative housing idea for local artists New affordable rental units are opening for seniors who devoted their lives to the performing arts. Senior artists like former DJ Ellie O\u2019Day \u201cMost people in the arts realize by the time they hit their 50s that they’re going to have an issue with housing in this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":26545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"topbottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"enable_post_split":"0","post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n