Summary

• Fifty-five temporary homes are opening at 1449 McGill Rd.
• The new homes will be operated by Canadian Mental Health Association Kamloops with staff on site 24/7

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People experiencing or at risk of homelessness will have access to 55 temporary homes with supports with the opening of a new development in Kamloops.

“More temporary homes with supports means more people will have access to help during a vulnerable time,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “These homes will help more people move indoors, connect to services and build stability in their lives, which will help create a stronger and more connected community.”

Located at 1449 McGill Rd., the units in the modular building each have a bed, desk, wardrobe and manually controlled heating and cooling unit. There is a shared dining area and outdoor gathering space, as well as kitchen, shower, washroom and laundry facilities.

On-site supports by an experienced provider

Canadian Mental Health Association Kamloops (CMHA Kamloops), an experienced non-profit housing provider, will operate the building and provide the following services:

• at least three staff on site 24/7
• daily meals
• life skills and employment training
• health and community support referrals

In addition to these services, there are security features, such as fencing, camera monitoring and a controlled single point of entry.

Strong partnerships

The temporary homes are the result of the Province, through BC Housing, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, the City of Kamloops and CMHA Kamloops working together to support people experiencing homelessness.

“Communities across the Thompson-Okanagan are stronger when people can access the housing and supports they need,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby. “These temporary homes in Kamloops provide a safe place to stay and connections to services that can help people build stability and work toward longer-term housing options. That benefits residents, neighbourhoods and the region as a whole.”

The Province provided a Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) grant of approximately $4.7 million for the homes with approximately $2.7 million in annual operating funding. An Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI) grant from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada provided nearly $4.1 million toward the project. The City of Kamloops contributed the land.

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 99,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 2,300 homes in Kamloops.

Quotes:

Stephen Fuhr, MP for Kelowna –

“By working together with our partners, we are helping to provide safe, supportive temporary housing for those who need it most. Individuals will be set up for future success through access to a safe place to stay, as well as life skills and employment training to support long-term housing stability. Canada’s new government is committed to supporting projects that strengthen our communities and help people build brighter futures.”

Dale Bass, deputy mayor of Kamloops –

“Temporary housing is an important step in helping people move indoors and connect with the supports they need to stabilize their lives. By bringing people indoors and connecting them with services, this project helps improve stability for residents and the broader community. We are grateful to the Province, BC Housing and all our community partners involved in advancing housing solutions in Kamloops.”

Alfred Achoba, executive director, CMHA Kamloops –

“We know that people cannot begin to stabilize when they are constantly moving between shelters, outside spaces and crisis systems. These homes will give people a safer, structured indoor space with daily staff support, clear program expectations, and connections to health, income and community services. CMHA Kamloops is proud to work with our partners to support residents as they move toward health, stability and long-term housing in a practical way that reflects their individual goals.”

Kúkwpi7 Rosanne Casimir, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc –

“We are encouraged to see these new temporary housing units open and begin serving community members in need. While more work remains, this project is an important step toward ensuring more people have access to safe, supportive and dignified housing within Secwépemcúl’ecw that can foster healing, well-being and connection to community.”

Quick Facts:

• There are 16 local governments partnering with the Province to put in place Homeless Encampment Action Response Teams (HEART) and/or HEARTH initiatives.
• As of March 31, 2026, there are nearly 1,200 HEARTH spaces open with hundreds more underway.
• Since 2017, the Province has nearly 9,800 supportive homes delivered or underway.

Learn More:

• To read the Belonging in B.C. plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BelongingStrategy.pdf
• For information about the HEART and the HEARTH programs, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/projects-partners/housing-provider-info/HEART-HEARTH
• To learn how B.C. is working to deliver more homes for people, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/homesforpeople
• A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available here: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC
• To learn how BC Housing is helping to build strong, inclusive communities, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/podcast
• For information about Community Encampment Response Plans supported by the federal government’s UHEI, visit: https://homelessnesslearninghub.ca/library/resources/community-encampment-response-plans-unsheltered-homelessness-and-encampments-initiative/