Construction underway on 300 affordable rentals in Burnaby for $215 million | Daily Hive

Regional district begins $215-million worth of Burnaby construction projects for 300 affordable rental homes

Concept of The Connection at 7786-7792 6th St., Burnaby. (VIA Architecture/Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Construction is well underway on two new family-oriented, below-market rental housing developments in Burnaby, which will generate nearly 300 units in total.

Through its Metro Vancouver Housing division — in partnership with BC Housing and the City of Burnaby — Metro Vancouver Regional District has launched work on The Steller and The Connection. These two housing projects will generate a combined total of 296 new rental homes and provide new childcare capacity.

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Located in the Edmonds Town Centre neighbourhood, The Steller will introduce 122 new rental homes on a City-owned lot at 7388 Southwynde Ave. It is within a 10-minute walk from SkyTrain’s Edmonds station.

Meanwhile, The Connection, situated at 7786-7792 6th St., also in the Edmonds area, will replace 30 aging townhouses with 174 new apartments. Both mixed-use projects will also incorporate a new childcare facility, with 37 childcare spaces at The Steller and eight spaces at The Connection.

7388 Southwynde Avenue Burnaby The Steller affordable housing 3

Site of The Steller at 7388 Southwynde Ave., Burnaby. (Google Maps)

7388 Southwynde Avenue Burnaby The Steller affordable housing

Site of The Steller at 7388 Southwynde Ave., Burnaby. (Google Maps)

the steller 7388 southwynde avenue burnaby

March 2025 construction progress on The Steller at 7388 Southwynde Ave., Burnaby. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Concept of The Steller at 7388 Southwynde Ave., Burnaby. (Integra Architecture/Metro Vancouver Regional District)

“Metro Vancouver Housing is one of the region’s largest non-profit housing providers, and I’m extremely proud of the work being done to help address the housing crisis and keep this region livable,” said Mike Hurley, the chair of the regional district’s board of directors and the Mayor of Burnaby, in a statement last week.

The two projects are part of a broader 10-year agreement between the provincial government and regional district, announced in 2023, to deliver approximately 2,000 below-market homes across Metro Vancouver. The first phase of this partnership includes four initial projects — including The Steller and The Connection — backed by a $120-million provincial investment. Of that, nearly $30 million will support The Steller and almost $42 million will go to The Connection.

For its part, the municipal government provided nominal land leases, streamlined development approvals, and contributed over $20 million in grants to help cover development costs and improve the affordability of the units.

In January 2024, the regional district indicated that the construction costs for each project had doubled.

When both projects were approved in October 2020, the total approved projects were $45.5 million for The Steller and $63.8 million for The Connection. However, after the detailed design and planning process involving the contracted architects through a procurement process, the costs were updated to $93.9 million and $120.8 million, respectively, for a combined total cost of nearly $215 million.

The costs were largely attributed to the steep market escalation in the prices for construction materials, labour, and equipment in the intervening years due to the pandemic, as well as slight changes to the design, scope, and size of the developments. The Steller is designed by Integra Architect, while The Connection is by VIA Architecture.

7730 6th Street Burnaby The Connection affordable housing

Site of The Connection at 7730 6th St., Burnaby. (Google Maps)

the connection 7786-7792 6th street burnaby

May 2025 construction progress on The Connection at 7786-7792 6th St., Burnaby. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Concept of The Connection at 7786-7792 6th St., Burnaby. (VIA Architecture/Metro Vancouver Regional District)

“We’re proud to support housing projects that integrate essential services like child care, especially in areas where families need them most,” said Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care.

Metro Vancouver Housing currently owns and manages over 3,400 below-market rental homes across 49 sites, housing nearly 10,000 people. The regional entity is now in the midst of its largest-ever growth phase, with 800 new homes under construction and another 760 in the design and approvals stage.

Construction on both The Steller and The Connection is expected to be complete by 2027.

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