NEW SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR VICTORIA’S HOMELESS

VICTORIA – The Province and the City of Victoria have agreed to expedite more than 170 new and upgraded housing units to reduce homelessness, including the relocation and expansion of the Streetlink emergency shelter, Minister responsible for Housing Rich Coleman and Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe announced today.

“By funding predevelopment costs, such as architect plans and building consultants, the Province is ensuring construction begins as soon as possible,” said Coleman. “The City is committing land, and designating an employee to the approval process. Our partnership is taking care of costs and procedures usually borne by the developer, and by doing so, we are fast-tracking the building of these homes.”

“Victoria has strong community consensus on homelessness, as reflected by the recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force report released in October. The people of Victoria recognize that housing the homeless and providing support services where they can be accessed by our most vulnerable citizens is a priority,” said Lowe. “The City of Victoria will do all it can to ensure that work can get underway quickly on these sites.”

The Province and the City have signed a memorandum of understanding that will lead to the housing units being established at three locations. Fifty-five existing shelter beds at Streetlink will be relocated to a city-owned property at 525 Ellice St., on which a new development will provide 80 shelter beds. The site will also have approximately 24 new supportive housing units. Streetlink’s current site at 1634 Store St. will be redeveloped into 15 new supportive housing units, expanding on the existing 26 units at the adjoining Swift House. In addition, a provincially owned social housing site at 950 Humboldt St. will be redeveloped with an anticipated 53 new supportive housing units.

“Every day, we work with the individuals and face the reality that homelessness is one of Victoria’s most urgent and complex challenges,” said Kathy Stinson, executive director of Victoria Cool Aid Society, the operator of both the Ellice Street and Streetlink/Swift House sites. “We’ve outgrown our current Streetlink location. This proposal will help us with our mission of eliminating homelessness by expanding our ability both to provide shelter and reach out with supportive services.”

“Providing shelter for the homeless and supportive services to transition people from the streets into affordable housing makes our streets and our neighbourhoods safer,” said Darlene Hollstein, chair of the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA). “The DVBA, which represents approximately 1,800 property and business owners, fully supports the recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force in the areas of housing, mental health, and addictions.”

The provincial contribution to pay for predevelopment costs is part of a $41-million commitment to help break the cycle of homelessness that was announced on Oct. 12, 2007. It builds on the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC, announced in October 2006. The Province has allocated $360 million this year towards shelters and affordable housing.

Public consultation will occur consistent with the City’s established policies and practices for development permit applications and rezoning, with the objective of commencing construction on the Humboldt and Ellice St. sites by the end of 2008. The redevelopment of the Streetlink site will begin in 2010, following completion of the Ellice St. development.

The memorandum of understanding is available at:

www.bchousing.org/programs/homelessness/municipal_approvals

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1 backgrounder(s) attached.

Media

contact:

Patricia Morrison

BC Housing

604 456-8895

604 314-1458

Katie Josephson

City of Victoria

250 361-0210

250 217-8343

John Crean

Victoria Cool Aid Society

250 383-1977

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