A five-storey supportive housing building will provide homes for 56 people at risk of homelessness in Victoria, the B.C. government announced Thursday.
The building at 953 Balmoral Road has 56 studio apartments, a commerical kitchen, amenity room and offices for staff.
“Having a safe place to lay your head at night is something everyone deserves, and we know that when people have stable housing with supports they can start to rebuild their lives and enjoy contributing to the community,” Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing said in a news release.
“Through this project, our government has now delivered on its 2021 promise to build nearly 300 new units of supportive housing in Greater Victoria, with even more housing projects to come.”
Cool Aid Society will operate the building and will provide 24/7 staffing, meal programs, life skills training, employment assistance, health care referrals and wellness support, and connection and referral to community services and support groups.
“We are very excited to have partnered with BC Housing to offer 56 brand new units of supportive housing at one of Cool Aid’s original sites,” Elin Bjarnason, CEO of Cool Aid said in a news release. “The building at 953 Balmoral is beautiful – both inside and out – and we know that people will be thrilled to call it home.”
The province, through BC Housing, provided $16.6 million for the project and will provide approximately $1.4 million in annual operating funds. The province also purchased the land for $2.7 million.
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