On May 13, it was announced that there would be a multi-million dollar expansion in UFV’s student housing as part of the Homes for BC plan. This is the largest funding announcement UFV has ever made to date.
This expansion will enable almost three times the students to live on campus: from 200 to 598 beds on the Abbotsford campus. The funding needed for this $82.3 million project was broken down by Dave Pinton, UFV’s director of communications. For the student housing building, UFV has been given a non-repayable grant of $35.6 million by the province; another $26.5 million is a repayable loan through the Student Housing Loan Program, and an additional $11.4 million will be invested by UFV. There will also be a dining hall expansion, called the Cascade Cafe, with an estimated cost of $8.6 million. For this project, UFV received $8 million in funding from the Province, and the remainder will be funded by UFV.
“There is a student housing shortage at the Abbotsford campus as well as a lack of affordable housing in the Fraser Valley,” Pinton said, adding that it becomes stressful for students when there is not enough housing at the university and they need to look for accommodations elsewhere.
“This new building will alleviate that pressure and help inject new life into the campus,” said Pinton. He adds that “now 600 people will call UFV home and live where they study.”
Annually, there is a wait list that consists of over 75 students who are looking for on-campus housing at Lá:lem te Baker, according to Pinton. While there is no set price for renting the new accommodations yet, they are expected to be more affordable than other housing options in the community.
“The goal is to provide modern, affordable, and convenient housing — and an alternative to looking for expensive accommodation in a very tight local rental market,” Pinton said.
The housing project will begin construction around the start of 2023 and is estimated to be complete by fall 2024. The new building will be in the vicinity of Building G in parking lot 10, where the Peter Jones Learning Centre and UHouse are located. The building itself will be six stories tall and will have various retail stores and other services for students located on the ground floor.
The university created different value statements for this housing project to honour the Stó:lo Temexw people and their lands. These statements include integrity, inclusivity, community, and excellence. According to Pinton, these values are expressed by creating housing opportunities for students that are safe, comfortable, and flexible, and by providing students with learning opportunities with both the UFV and Stó:lo Temexw community. UFV is striving to make the housing a community in itself that offers both privacy and comfort for students living on campus and social connections that create good life experiences. The aim is that the building is a desirable place to live, environmentally sustainable, and respectful to the Stó:lo Temexw community.
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
