The provincial government is contributing $7.4 million to build 30 supportive housing units and 20 shelter spaces for people who are homeless in Port Alberni.
The Port Alberni Shelter Society will operate the facility, which will be built at 3939 8th Ave.
The self-contained modular housing units will each have a bathroom and a kitchenette. An additional five units sleeping four people each will be set aside for shelter spaces. The development will also include a multi-purpose room that can be used for additional shelter spaces in the winter months.
The society will staff the facility around the clock to provide services such as meal programs, life and employment skills training, and health and wellness support services, according to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
“Homelessness is an acute issue in B.C., and the new housing development in Port Alberni will help provide relief to people living without shelter and to families dealing with the pain of a loved one who is in need of support,” Scott Fraser, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, said in a statement.
“The combination of new shelter spaces and modular housing units allows us to quickly offer that support — safe places to live with access to the services people need to overcome the experiences that led to homelessness in the first place.”
Port Alberni Mayor Mike Ruttan said the funding will “bring much-needed supportive housing, and additional shelter beds, to our community.”
The $7.4 million will cover capital and construction costs and an annual operating subsidy.
The land is owned by Island Health and will be leased to B.C. Housing. The Courtenay-based Muchalat Group will build the facility, which is expected to be open by December.
Wes Hewitt, executive director of the Port Alberni Shelter Society, said the society has been trying to secure funding for the facility since 2010.
The extra housing units means that some long-term tenants who have been living with a roommate will get their own home.
“This will give the people we now house a little more freedom and personal well-being and sense of worth,” Hewitt said.
It will also put a roof over the heads of many homeless people, he said.
“We now have quite a number of people on the streets and you can’t get them off the streets unless you have somewhere to put them,” he said.
“So this is the first step in our community to increasing our housing and giving them somewhere to go.”
