VANCOUVER — Members of Metro Vancouver’s South Asian community are coming together to welcome Syrian refugees, and a local developer is leading the way with an offer of free housing for the new arrivals.

On Friday, Daljit Thind of Thind Properties pledged seven units in one of his buildings on Kingsway in Vancouver for asylum-seekers.

“I just wanted to help these people. They come with their kids and the kids are so young,” he said.

“I thought, they will really need help.”

Up to 3,000 refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war are expected in B.C. by the end of the year as the new Liberal government fulfills an election promise to bring 25,000 asylum-seekers into Canada.

As an immigrant, Thind said he understands how tough it will be for the new arrivals to get a fresh start in Canada. In the 20 years since he left India, he’s managed to work his way up from construction worker to become one of the most successful businessmen in the Punjabi community, and he wants Syrian refugees to have the opportunity to accomplish something similar.

“Helping out mankind, that’s in our culture,” Thind said.

He made the offer following the launch of a campaign by the immigration settlement agency Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) on Spice Radio.

The non-profit is asking members of the South Asian community to donate their spare rooms and empty basement suites to the refugees.

“We came as immigrants ourselves, so we are very sensitive to people who are homeless,” PICS CEO Charan Gill said.

“The major issue we believe is housing. Most of the people are coming to Surrey and Vancouver, and we want to be ready to accept those people.”

He added that his group is meeting with the City of Surrey on Monday to talk about what else can be done to help.

Thind is just the latest Vancouver developer to offer up space for the arrivals from Syria. Last week, Ian Gillespie pledged 12 units in a West End apartment building, and the Urban Development Institute urged its members to follow suit.

blindsay@vancouversun.com

Twitter.com/bethanylindsay

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