Work underway on supportive housing and shelter in Courtenay

Construction has begun on 70 units of supportive housing and a shelter in Courtenay for those who are homeless or at risk of it. The housing units will be in a four-storey building on Braidwood Road, next to the two-storey shelter, which will have 73 beds as well as showers and other services. The supportive-housing facility is expected to open in early 2028, followed by the shelter in the spring of that year. The New Westminster-based Lookout Housing and Health Society will operate the housing units, which will be self-contained studio suites with private bathrooms and kitchenettes. The society will offer on-site support that includes access to life skills and employment training, and connections to services in the community. Rent for the housing units will be linked to income and the provincial shelter allowance, with people paying up to $500 a month. Aside from its 73 beds, the shelter is expected to have space for up to 30 more mats during bad weather, and will provide referrals for health care and housing. The shelter will be run by Connective, a Vancouver-based non-profit that manages 1,500 housing and shelter spaces in 27 B.C. communities, including Duncan, Campbell River, Port Hardy, Nanaimo and Victoria, where it operates a 34-bed referral-only shelter on Bridge Street in Rock Bay. B.C. Housing is providing close to $22 million for the Courtenay supportive-housing facility and $17 million for the shelter. A count in the Comox Valley last year by the Homelessness Services Association of B.C. found that 218 people in the area were homeless, and the majority were long-time area residents. Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said in an interview that the city relies on B.C. Housing and non-profits for supportive and shelter housing, so it’s “absolutely feeling grateful that this project has finally moved forward.” Wells said the city is especially appreciative in the wake of several housing projects being delayed when the provincial budget came out this spring. “We are quite aware that our project is one of the very few moving forward after that budget,” he said. “It definitely is something we’re feeling relieved about.” The province announced the purchase of the land for the housing facility and shelter in March 2024, providing $4.4 million for the land through the Supportive Housing Fund.