The Comox Valley Regional District鈥檚 Homelessness Support Service recently received $250,000 from Kensington Island Properties (KIP) as a community amenity for its proposed development within Union Bay.

As part of the development in Union Bay, KIP proposes to construct two golf courses and a mixture of housing and commercial space which could ultimately include approximately 2,889 units once fully built.

As part of a recently updated Master Development Agreement (MDA), the developer will dedicate 51.3 hectares of parks and trails, provide a 1.62-hectare lot to the Union Bay Improvement District (UBID) for a new water treatment facility, a one-hectare lot to UBID for construction of a new fire hall as well as 30 affordable housing serviced lots by 2027.

KIP will also provide sewage treatment infrastructure for the development which could be expanded to provide wastewater service to some of the surrounding area.

鈥淚 am excited as this is the first step forward with our new proposed development in Union Bay,鈥� said Brian McMahon, vice-president of KIP. 鈥淗elping our community in areas of need is of utmost importance. I know the donation will assist many residents in our region.鈥�

The $250,000 provided by KIP will go towards the CVRD Homelessness Supports Service. The funds in that service are allocated to agencies identified by the Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness鈥檚 five-year plan, which the CVRD board approves on an annual basis.

In 2018, the coalition鈥檚 five-year plan identified the Comox Valley Transition Society, John Howard Society, Wachiay Friendship Centre/ M鈥檃kola Housing and the Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North as agencies to receive funding.

鈥淭he funds contributed in late 2017 by the developer along with 30 serviced single-family lots to be provided by 2027 will provide much-needed support in the full spectrum of housing needs in the Comox Valley,鈥� said Ann MacDonald, the CVRD鈥檚 general manager of planning and development.