A private charity is hoping to build a major rental housing project in Merritt.

Anhart Housing Society is proposing two buildings with 78 units in total, adding the current vacancy rate in the city is zero per cent, according to information from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Spokesperson Marcy Good says the society bought a piece of land on De Wolf Way last summer where the project would be built.

“Our two focuses really are seniors and low-income housing, but also what we call workforce housing,” she says. “That is just people who are entering the workforce or low to mid income and families as well. We will have a number of three bedroom units.”

Good adds is planning two housing projects in Hope as well, where the vacancy rate is also zero according to CMHC.

“When we started looking at the smaller towns, it’s amazing. Like you think of smaller towns as a place where you can go and retire or go when you are starting as a family or whatever. But there’s a really difficult housing market for renters at a lot of places, but particularly in Hope and Merritt.”

The society will be presenting the plans to Merritt city council tonight, and Good says they may have a better idea on a timeline for the project after that.