As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues into the fall, a local developer has offered a helping hand to some of the refugees fleeing the conflict.
First Track Development, a real estate firm, has seven houses on an East Vancouver property that it is looking to redevelop into 72 family-oriented houses, predominately of a townhouse design.
But in the interim period before demolition, the company has furnished two single-family homes on a pending project site to house Ukrainian families in Vancouver.
The pilot is part of a larger project called Operation Welcome Home, which is a collaboration between S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Maple Hope and The Rennie Foundation that helps Ukrainians fleeing the crisis to find housing, employment, cultural support, and education.
Sasha Faris, President of First Track Development, says the company was eager to find a way to help Ukrainians fleeing from the war. The first families were welcomed in July after the company was approached about the idea in May.
"It's heartbreaking when you meet these people and you hear their stories," Faris tells Vancouver Is Awesome in an interview.
- Related: A Ukrainian man describes his journey to Vancouver following the Russian invasion
One of the families fled from their home in Mariupol, a coastal city that is occupied by Russia. The city underwent months of constant shelling by the occupied forces that left the city in ruin.
"So the thought of them returning to Ukraine...it's not an option," he says. "So I think being here in Canada is a grim reality."
Working with the city, the company provides a "temporary solution" for Ukrainians landing in Vancouver. In the spring of 2023, however, it will move forward with its redevelopment plan. The detached homes are spacious, with three or four bedrooms and typically two floors.
Ukrainians face housing crisis settling in Vancouver
When he meets new families, Faris typically uses Google Translate to communicate. But it isn't long after their initial exchange that they welcome him inside for coffee and end up talking for hours. With a Palestinian/Lebanese background, his own family fled from a civil war in the 70s and their experience forging a new life in Canada deeply resonates with him.
"I was lucky enough that my family moved us here before I was born, but I can see it through my father and through my mother...what they did to make a better life for us here in Canada," Faris explains.
Faris hopes other companies will feel inspired by this pilot and volunteer their own spaces and resources for refugees arriving from conflict areas.
For many Ukrainians arriving in B.C., particularly the Lower Mainland, the cost of housing is a shock. This October, the average rent in Vancouver is the highest in the country, at $2,589 for an unfurnished, one-bedroom rental unit.
Metro Vancouver renters are now spending over half (51.37 per cent) of their monthly income on rent, according to a recent report.
Russia retaliated Monday (Oct. 10) for an attack on a critical bridge by unleashing its most widespread strikes against Ukraine in months, a lethal barrage that smashed civilian targets, knocked out power and water, shattered buildings and killed at least 14 people.
Moscow’s war in Ukraine is currently approaching its eight-month mark.
With files from the Canadian Press.
