Shul construction remains in limbo

Housing review imperils Eitz Chaim plan.

PAT JOHNSON REPORTER

Plans for a new Eitz Chaim synagogue are on hold due to the provincial government's decision to review all social housing projects as part of its "core review." The Richmond shul had planned to sell part of its large property to a social housing society and use the revenue to cover the cost of a new building.

"Limbo," is where the project is now, according to Eitz Chaim president Macey Morris.

"We were going to sell our property off to them and use the funds to build a shul," he said. "This was when the NDP was still in power and, to the best of my knowledge, it was approved up and down the line.

"We're quite disappointed, but there's really nothing we can do." The new Liberal government is reviewing all expenditures in an effort to balance the budget within three years and implement a personal income tax cut at the same time.

Under Richmond zoning regulations, the property can be used for religious institutions or other public amenities such as libraries, firehalls or social housing, but cannot accommodate anything commercial.

The proposal, now in limbo, would see a 51-unit housing complex, including apartments and townhouses, aimed at seniors, single parents and families. Under the proposal, 60 per cent of the units would be rented out to low-income families or individuals who would pay 30 per cent of their income as rent. The remaining units would be rented at about 10 per cent below market rates. Under the province's Homes B.C. program, the government subsidizes the difference between assessed market rent and the amount tenants actually pay. The nonprofit society making the application in this case is Los Andes Housing Society, an agency in the Hispanic community.

Although members of that community would probably receive priority consideration in rental applications, there is the option for substantial Jewish involvement as well. Denis Loeppky, a consultant who is shepherding the proposal through the provincial bureaucracy, said the relationship with Eitz Chaim could provide benefits beyond funding a new synagogue.

"There's been a sort of gentleman's agreement [with] the synagogue that any persons from their congregation who need this type of housing will also be given a similar type of priority," said Loeppky.

There are other potential benefits to the Jewish community. The agency has been in touch with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver Nonprofit Housing Society, addressing the potential that the society might manage several of the suites for the benefit of special needs people in the Jewish community.

Housing activists fear that the government's review will result in Victoria's withdrawal from the social housing field. The federal government no longer funds social housing programs and Quebec and British Columbia are the only remaining provinces that have such provincially funded ventures.

Nevertheless, Loeppky sees the review as one of a series of peaks and valleys faced periodically in his business and he is hopeful that the plan will go ahead within a few months.

"Nobody's been given a time frame," he said. "But I'm an optimist and I believe that the review that is going on right now is going to be fairly quick."

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