More than 100 new supportive housing units are set to become available in Kamloops before next winter, the city and province jointly announced today.
Two modular-style housing projects with 52 units each will be built on the North and South Shore, answering the city’s call for more affordable housing. Once operational, the units will be staffed 24/7, seven days a week to support at-risk residents.
The provincial government and the City of Kamloops made the announcement Wednesday at Horizon North’s manufacturing facility in the Mount Paul Industrial Park.
Kamloops is the ninth community to partner with the provincial government on its modular housing initiative.
One project will be located at 259 Victoria St. West and operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association, which owns the property and will provide around-the-clock support to residents. It will also continue to operate a separate shelter on the same site.
Another 52 units will be located at 317 Tranquille Rd. and operated by the ASK Wellness Society, which will provide 24/7 support services. The property was recently purchased by the City of Kamloops, which announced the acquisition this week.
ASK Wellness executive director Bob Hughes said that the unfortunate intersection of homelessness and addiction over the past couple years has compromised many people’s compassion for the less fortunate, which often leads to a not-in-my-backyard mentality.
But Hughes said the housing solution is about community safety and livability as a whole, and the issue of homelessness is pervasive across the entire city. Hughes, CMHA executive director Christa Mullally and provincial partners spoke to businesses and neighbours surrounding the two projects.
“I can say unequivocally that the people we encountered want to see a solution and believe that housing is the place to start. They have justifiable concerns about how it's managed,” Hughes said.
“You can't just build housing and warehouse people into these buildings. You need to have caring compassionate people, you need to have the expertise. . . What we heard was, if you do it, do it right and do it well.”
The goal is to have the supportive housing ready for residents by fall of 2018. The housing will also include capacity for extreme weather response shelter beds, the province said.
Modular housing construction comes together much faster than a traditional stick-build. The units will be constructed by Horizon North in Kamloops.
President Rod Graham said at Wednesday’s announcement that the company provides design, engineering, manufacturing, transportation and site setup of the modular units. Graham said the product is “indistinguishable from conventional construction methods.”
The public will be invited to learn more about the new housing at neighbourhood open houses later this month.
The provincial government is investing $291 million over two years to build 2,000 modular supportive housing units across B.C. as part of this housing initiative.
