The Citaapi Mahtii Housing Society is reaching an exciting milestone with the grand opening ceremony of their new apartment building set for Oct. 17, 2025.
Established in 2019, the Citaapi Mahtii Housing Society saw a need for Ahousaht members living in Port Alberni.
“We have a housing crisis, and we have people waiting to get in,” said Citaapi Mahtii operations manager Jude Newman.
According to an interim housing report presented to its city council in December 2024, Port Alberni needs over 1,200 homes over the next five years to meet the anticipated need. An estimated 500 Ahousaht members live in the small Vancouver Island city, many of whom are in need of housing.
Amid Port Alberni’s long-standing and well-known housing deficit, the Citaapi Mahtii development adds 35 new homes in a four-storey complex located at 4210 Cedarwood Street, near the Fall Fair grounds.
Newman notes that because it is part of the BC Housing registry, applicants need to be registered with BC Housing in order to be eligible for a unit at the new building.
Located near schools, shopping parks and health services, the building is an ideal fit for low-income families. The building includes a mix of studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom apartments. There are units for people with disabilities.
The residents will be multi-generational and will include singles, seniors, and families. As per the requirements of the Community Housing Fund program, 20 per cent of the spaces will be deep-subsidy units, 50 per cent for rent geared to income clients and 30 per cent for those with a moderate income.
Newman says that the society has applications, but is waiting for final details to be completed before new residents can move in.
“We’re building a community and I’m getting calls from all over the island,” she said.
“Homelessness is everywhere, and homelessness doesn’t only mean those that live in the streets,” she added.
It also includes those that are “couch surfing”, staying with relatives where they can.
Because it is an Ahousaht-led project, a bulk of the units will be rented to members of the First Nation, but the society has set some aside for other First Nations.
The grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony starting at 11 a.m. at 4210 Cedarwood Street. There will be guest speakers, and the public will get a chance to look at the new building.
