Summary

• The Province, through BC Housing, is providing three years of operating funding for a new 24-7 temporary shelter in downtown Victoria
• Located at 2920 Bridge St., the Bridge Street Pathways Shelter will have 34 shelter spaces as well as meals, showers, laundry and other health and community supports
• New indoor spaces prioritized for people sheltering outdoors on Pandora Avenue, Ellice Street and other downtown areas

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People experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Victoria will soon have access to 34 new warm, safe shelter spaces.

“We’re making great strides in Victoria, working together with the city to help more people sheltering outside move indoors, building a safer, stronger community for everyone,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “Shelter guests will have access to meals, showers, laundry, plus health and community supports. Moving indoors can open new opportunities for people to build confidence and healthy routines that will help them move toward other longer-term housing solutions and a better quality of life.”

Access to the shelter

The Bridge Street Pathways Shelter will operate as referral-only, meaning people will be able to access the shelter only if there is space being held for them. Outreach staff will connect with people sheltering outdoors on Pandora Avenue, Ellice Street and other downtown areas, and refer them to the shelter when spaces are available.

Located at 2920 Bridge St., the Bridge Street Pathways Shelter will be in a two-storey, 550-square-metre (6,000-square-foot), fenced building and property owned by the City of Victoria. In addition to the funding provided through the Province, the city is investing up to $700,000 over three years for building renovations and an outreach position to co-ordinate referrals from community service providers.

Renovations will include adding portable washrooms and shower facilities, building sleeping and day-use areas, and retrofitting offices for support programs. The city will be contracting overnight security patrols in the area.

How the shelter will be managed

Connective will operate the shelter, which will have staff on site 24/7, and provide on-site case management and washrooms. Other services, such as basic health supports, will be provided.

• Connective is a qualified shelter operator through BC Housing’s Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program.
• The agency currently oversees more than 1,500 housing/shelter spaces in 27 communities throughout British Columbia and the Yukon.
• In 2025, Connective was named the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association’s Housing Provider of the Year.

Information shared with the neighbourhood

BC Housing will be notifying the surrounding community. Letters will be provided to neighbours, businesses and stakeholders outlining how the facility will operate and will include BC Housing contact information for questions or concerns.

HEART and HEARTH partnership with City of Victoria

• This is the eighth HEARTH project in Victoria since the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province in February 2024.
• The agreement includes the development of new temporary shelter and housing options and increased support to people sheltering outdoors and in encampments.
• The Bridge Street Pathways Shelter will complete the Province’s commitment under HEARTH for Victoria.

HEART and HEARTH partnerships throughout B.C.

• The program is part of the Province’s commitment to expand the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and HEARTH programs, as part of the 2025 Co-operation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA) with the B.C. Green Party caucus. 
• Victoria is one of 11 local governments partnering with the Province to put in place HEART and/or HEARTH.
• The others are Abbotsford, Campbell River (HEARTH only), Chilliwack (HEARTH only), Duncan (HEARTH only), Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Powell River, Prince George and Vancouver.

This work is part of the Province’s Belonging in B.C. plan to help prevent homelessness and bring more people indoors quickly. Since 2017, the Province has more than 93,600 homes delivered or underway, including nearly 4,000 homes in Victoria.

Quotes:

Marianne Alto, mayor of Victoria –

“I would like to recognize the Province for its continued investment and support for Victoria’s most vulnerable residents, making it possible for them to transition from homelessness to housing. A concrete example of the City’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan, this shelter is named to reflect our shared commitment to working together to create positive pathways to housing for everyone.”

Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands –

“We can move people from crisis to stability by addressing homelessness with sustained investment, strong partnerships and a clear commitment to dignity. By securing $30 million through our agreement with the government, the B.C. Greens are helping make sure communities like Victoria have the resources they need to move people from encampments into stable housing with ongoing support and overdose prevention services. This helps all British Columbians, and we will keep fighting to ensure no one is left behind.”

Liz Vick Sanha, chief operating officer, Connective –

“Connective is grateful to work alongside the City of Victoria and BC Housing to respond to an urgent community need. We’re honoured to be welcomed into Victoria, building on decades of housing experience across Vancouver Island. Going where we’re needed and applying our experience to support communities and funders in times of urgency is core to who we are.”

Quick Facts:

• The shelter will offer 34 beds within a communal setting.
• There will be storage on site for guests to store their personal items.
• The shelter will serve people of all genders 19 years of age and older and is expected to be operating by spring 2026.

Learn More:

• To read the Belonging in B.C. plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BelongingStrategy.pdf
• For information about the Homeless Encampment Action Response Teams (HEART) and the Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) programs, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/HEART-HEARTH
• To learn about the steps the Province is taking to address the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for people in B.C., visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
• To see a map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C., visit: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC
• To learn more about Victoria’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan and priority actions, visit: https://www.victoria.ca/cswb