A vacant former care facility for people with dementia will be turned into 78 supportive units for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Nanaimo.
sa国际传媒 Housing announced Tuesday that it’s leasing the units at the Travellers Lodge building on Nelson Street, and will allocate them to people currently living in shelters. The building has been empty since 2017, when dementia patients were moved to Eden Gardens on Northfield Road.
The studio units have private bathrooms and access to gardens and other spaces, and should be ready for people to move in early next year. Priority will be given to those over 19 who have expressed a desire to minimize their exposure to alcohol and substance use.
The three-year lease by the government comes with annual operating funding. A non-profit group will be selected to operate the facility and provide around-the-clock staffing.
Residents will be charged the shelter rate of $500 per month, which includes two meals a day and laundry services.
In addition to life-skills training, they will receive employment assistance and counselling, and resources to deal with their mental and physical health.
The City of Nanaimo is putting about $394,000 into the project, while full details of the provincial funding will be provided when the site opens.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said the supportive homes will offer much-needed stability and a sense of belonging to residents.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the revamped units will not not only give residents a roof over their heads “but also a number of other support services to help people get back on their feet.”
The supports will help residents build life skills to transition to affordable housing that the government has in the works, said Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson.
The project is the fourth since the province and the City of Nanaimo signed a memorandum of understanding in January to develop shelter and housing options for those living in homeless encampments, through sa国际传媒 Housing’s Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing or HEARTH program.
The ministry said close to 80,000 affordable homes have been created or are in the process of coming on line since 2017 — including nearly 1,800 in Nanaimo.
The Nanaimo Travellers Lodge began operating in 1979 and is affiliated with Island Health. It is run by a non-profit organization whose members belong to the Associated Canadian Travellers, a charitable initiative for commercial salespeople.
