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Nelson council kicks in $15K for Room to Live

Council voted to match donations up to the amount for the affordable housing campaign
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The three-year Room to Live campaign to restore Ward Street Place has nearly wrapped up. Photo: Tyler Harper

City council has committed $15,000 to Room to Live, which will ensure the campaign reaches its conclusion.

Council voted Monday night to match the campaign in donations up to $15,000 after Room to Live organizers approached the city’s affordable housing committee.

Jenny Robinson, executive director of Nelson CARES, said she thinks the campaign should be able to match the city’s donation with a final fundraiser Nov. 3 at the Capitol Theatre.

”We gave ourselves three years to raise the $690,000 and it looks like it is going to happen, which is a huge compliment to this community and their generosity. … We’re incredibly grateful.”

The city’s donation will come out of the committee’s purse, which totalled $41,000 prior to Monday’s vote. Councillor Janice Morrison, who chairs the committee, said the donation made sense.

“What they saw now was the ability to help complete a project that’s been on the books for a few years,” said Morrison.

“Then once we have this completed and we can celebrate the success of Room to Live, we can move onto the next project and take a look at the merits of upcoming projects to see whether or not there is some way this committee can help them as they pursue their dream, which was what the dream was here of renovating the old building on Ward Street.”

Room to Live was launched in October 2014 by Nelson CARES to fund renovations to its affordable housing project at 567 Ward St.

The total cost of the project is $2.9 million, with $2.2 million coming from government and business donations. The city also donated $15,000 at the beginning of the campaign.

Forty-five units are getting rebuilt at the 105-year-old building, which is one of the few low-income housing locations in Nelson.



Tyler Harper

About the Author: Tyler Harper

I’m editor-reporter at the Nelson Star, where I’ve worked since 2015.
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