Housing and Municipal Affairs
People experiencing homelessness in Nanaimo will soon have access to nearly 190 more indoor housing spaces.
“Bringing people indoors is the first step toward stability for people who need it, and is key to strengthening our communities,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “That’s why we’re providing more temporary housing units with vital supports for people in Nanaimo. Homelessness is a tough challenge, but we've been doing the work and we’re starting to make real progress helping people move indoors.”
The Province, through BC Housing, is providing approximately $32 million to deliver the spaces across three sites:
- 50 new units at 1300 Island Hwy. South, operated by Connective Support Society;
- 59 new units at 1030 Old Victoria. Rd., operated by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society; and
- 78 renovated units at the Sparrow, 1298 Nelson St., operated by Pacifica Housing.
People who have been staying in overnight shelters will have priority access to the spaces and are expected to move into 1300 Island Hwy. this spring. Move-ins at the other sites will begin in summer 2025. All sites will have individual units, shared amenity spaces, meals and laundry services, on-site staff 24/7, one entrance, and referrals to community programs essential to the health and wellness of residents.
“Before, I was living in a shelter and really struggling with depression,” said Harold Wilson, a resident at Newcastle Place, one of the temporary sites open in Nanaimo. “My favourite thing about living here is being able to visit with my granddaughter. I also love being a part of the gardening club and growing vegetables.”
In addition, the Province is committed to providing new, permanent, purpose-built supportive housing to help support people after the eventual closure of temporary sites. A rezoning application has been submitted for approximately 60 units at McKenzie Avenue, adjacent to the 1030 Old Victoria Rd. temporary housing site.
These sites, including the reopened 50-unit Newcastle Place at 250 Terminal Ave. are part of a January 2024 agreement between the Province and the City of Nanaimo to prioritize the health and safety of people sheltering outdoors and to create new temporary and permanent housing options to move people indoors.
“Without housing, no person can have a healthy life,” said Leonard Krog, mayor of Nanaimo. “The partnership with the city set out in the HEART and HEARTH MOU means that over 200 people are going to have a safe secure place to live where they can better their own lives and move beyond the misery of living in the streets.”
This work is part of the Province’s homeless and encampment-response temporary housing solutions program under the Belonging in BC plan to help prevent homelessness and bring more people indoors quickly. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 92,000 homes delivered or underway, including more than 1,800 homes in Nanaimo.
Learn More:
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/projects-partners/Building-BC/homes-for-BC
To learn how BC Housing is helping to build strong, inclusive housing communities, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/podcast
Two backgrounders follow.
