LOCAL DEVELOPER VOLUNTARILY BUILDING NON-PROFIT SOCIAL HOUSING

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LOCAL DEVELOPER VOLUNTARILY BUILDING NON-PROFIT SOCIAL
HOUSING PROJECT AT 441 EAST PENDER STREET

Local developer PACK Buildings & Technology has voluntarily chosen to build a non-profit social housing complex at 441 East Pender Street. The project, Powerhouse X, is a six-storey residence that would provide 55 independent living units in the Downtown Eastside. While the site was eligible for market redevelopment, PACK opted to pursue social housing from the outset, focusing on an approach that responds directly to the needs of the neighbourhood.

Following extensive community engagement, PACK recently submitted an updated application for Powerhouse X. The revised design better responds to local priorities, including the addition of family-sized homes. The unit mix now includes:

  • 46 self-contained studios
  • 4 BC Housing–accessible studios at grade
  • 5 two-bedroom family homes, one on each upper floor

“We knew it would be financially challenging to voluntarily pursue social housing,” says Kevin Liu, CEO of PACK Buildings & Technology. “But from the beginning, my family and our company felt this was the right thing for the neighbourhood. We chose to prioritize long-term community benefit over a market redevelopment and to work toward transferring the project to a non-profit housing provider at cost.”

Homes are intended for low- to moderate-income residents, including local workers, modest-income households, and seniors. Tenant eligibility will be income-based and consistent with City guidelines and government housing programs*.

The building will be owned and/or operated long-term by a qualified non-profit, ensuring affordability, safety, and responsible management. The final operator will be confirmed in coordination with the City following further consultation.

“As Vancouver faces an affordable housing shortage, this project shows what’s possible when developers engage, adapt, and take responsibility for the communities they build in,” says Liu. “We believe in this neighbourhood—and in the future of the Downtown Eastside.”

Council is expected to consider the project for referral on Tuesday, February 3.

More information at Shape Your City: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/441-e-pender-st

About PACK Buildings & Technology

PACK Buildings & Technology is a Vancouver-based industrial technology company focused on modernizing housing delivery and critical infrastructure. The company develops innovative construction solutions to improve speed, quality, and cost certainty, while also investing in and operating technology-enabled real estate, including housing, data centres, offices, and digital infrastructure assets. https://www.packbuildings.com/

*Includes a minimum of 20% of the units at shelter rates and 10% at HILS (Housing Income Limits) rates

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