Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre is being used to temporarily house 45 people from the homeless camps at Topaz Park and Pandora Avenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, the B.C. government confirmed Monday.
Social Development Minister Shane Simpson made the official announcement on Tuesday, saying the arena will be used as an emergency response centre with meals, washroom facilities, health care, addictions treatment, harm-reduction services and storage.
It will be the first time an emergency housing site will feature pop-up rooms. Each person will have a bed, a cabinet and a couple of dividers to give a measure of privacy and the ability to keep their distance.
Each person will have a bed, a cabinet and a couple of dividers to give a measure of privacy and the ability to keep their distance from others so as to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
The government said it’s the first time that an emergency housing site has featured pop-up rooms, which were built with the help of community partners. More details will be released today.
People are expected to begin moving into the arena in the coming days, as the province pushes ahead with efforts to evacuate the homeless camps.
Solicitor General Mike Farnworth issued a public-safety order last month that set Saturday as the deadline for moving about 360 people from the camps into hotels, motels and other facilities.
B.C. Housing has been transitioning about 15 to 20 people a day from the camps to 324 rooms at five hotels in the city. As of 4 p.m. Sunday, 90 people had been moved indoors.
Simpson has promised that the spaces will be managed by experienced non-profit housing providers with “wrap-around supports” and staff on site at all times of the day.
With the addition of the arena to the mix, the province has now secured indoor spaces for 369 people in Victoria.
Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame officials were asked last week by arena staff to remove their displays from the arena or cover them with plywood, including all the wall plaques of the 230-plus past inductees as well as tributes to Islanders who have competed in the Olympics.
The Memorial Centre is owned by the City of Victoria but operated and managed by the GSL Group of Vancouver, formerly RG Properties. Graham Lee, president and chief executive officer, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and the police department directed requests for comment to B.C. Housing.
