The BIRCH Board is pleased to share with the community that we and our partners at Lookout Housing + Health Society have today submitted our application for funding of the Bowen Island Community Lands project to the Building BC: Community Housing Fund.
After feedback following the declining of our previous application, BIRCH decided that the best route to success this time would be to to partner with the Lookout Society, whose experience and track record addresses our application’s primary weaknesses. Their strengths made it clear to us that they should take the lead on the application and on the resulting building, and we could not be happier with the relationship.
Lookout has been offering a range of programs and housing and health solutions since 1971 and their projects house more than 1,800 people every night and our community is incredibly fortunate to have them leading our application. At every turn, the BIRCH ED and Board members were clear that the goal is building housing, and that the involvement of our friends at the Lookout Society gives us the best chance for success.
BIRCH will of course continue to be involved wherever it furthers the project. We have the relationships with Bowen Island Municipality, the architects and engineers, and everyone else involved in this project. We simply want to get this building built!
Of course key support for this project comes from the Bowen Island community. Thank you to everyone who wrote letters of support, offered help, and urged this project forward. We could not have gotten to this point without you.
We don’t yet know when we hear back from BC Housing, but we will of course keep you in the loop, and look forward to sharing exciting news.
Thank you!
David McCullum
Board Chair
Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing
