The Duncan Housing Society and Anglican Diocese of B.C. are exploring the redevelopment of a church site for a 125-unit affordable housing project to replace the aging Duncan Manor.
The proposed development at 486 Jubilee St. would include a new church hall to replace the existing building, as well as 125 one-bedroom units of affordable rental housing for seniors and people with disabilities.
The St. John the Baptist Anglican Church will remain in its current location on the site.
The Duncan Manor, a 122-unit building that opened 43 years ago, is deemed to be at the end of its life. Operated by the Duncan Housing Society, the building currently houses people aged 55 and older and people with disabilities aged 18 and older.
Christine Wright, executive director of the housing society, said the building is not in good condition and about 40 of the units have communal bathrooms and no kitchens, which means people can’t live fully independently.
Residents can’t make themselves a cup of tea or coffee or wash their dishes, she said.
“It doesn’t really serve its purpose for people to have an independent, dignified life,” Wright said.
The society has been seeking funding and a site to construct a replacement building for over six years.
Current tenants, except those unable to live independently, will move to a new building when it’s ready, Wright said.
Rents in the building are some of the lowest in the province, starting at $320 a month and rising to about $850 for people paying market rent, Wright said.
Kaeley Wiseman, founder of Wiser Projects, the consultant developer on the project, said it will likely be late 2026 or early 2027 before the building can be finished.
The project first needs to submit a rezoning and development application to the City of Duncan, which is expected in the fall, Wiseman said.
The team has looked at about 10 sites over the years trying to find a location before landing on a partnership with the church. The diocese will receive a long-term lease at a nominal cost in exchange for a new community hall, she said.
“The parishioners have been very open to us and the idea of looking after some of our community’s most vulnerable, and I think you’ll see a lot more of these types of partnerships happening,” Wiseman said.
In 2021, Duncan council rejected a proposed land swap that would have seen the new rental building constructed on parking lots owned by Duncan.
Some parking would have been moved into a green space in Centennial Park, and residents balked at the idea of losing part of the park.
The housing society was selected by B.C. Housing in 2021 to move forward with a proposal to replace the Duncan Manor. It also received $300,000 from the Cowichan Valley Regional District Regional Housing Service Fund for pre-development work.
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