Construction on a new 32-unit supportive housing project on Elliott Street is expected to be complete one year from now.
Safe and secure homes are on the way for people experiencing homelessness in Quesnel.
“For us, it’s a little bit like a light at the end of the tunnel,” Mel McDonald, executive director of the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society, said in a phone interview with the Observer. “We’ve struggled for many years to find appropriate housing for some of the individuals we work with, and we’ve been over-capacity for many years, so we’ve seen the need for supportive housing in our community for a long time.”
McDonald has personally been working on getting supportive housing here for six years now, and she is happy to see construction going ahead.
“We know we’re going to be able to provide much-needed housing for some very vulnerable people in our community, so we’re really excited about it,” she said.
The 32 new supportive homes in the three-storey building at 355 Elliott St. will be self-contained, with private bathrooms and kitchens.
The housing project will also contain a common dining area, commercial kitchen, amenity spaces and programming space. There will also be a secure storage area for bikes and personal possessions.
For 28 of the units, the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society will provide 24-hour service to help residents transition to independence and recovery through life and social skills training, as well as access to community services and support groups.
McDonald says they will also provide two meals a day, and they will have a common dining area and a big commercial kitchen, where they will be able to help teach cooking skills, and they will be able to gather to host for bigger meetings with the tenants and to share meals.
“Food security is a really big concern and issue with the people we serve, and so being able to provide two meals a day for them is really exciting for us,” she said.
McDonald said tenants will be paying rent, which will be based on 30 per cent of their income.
“It is affordable, rental housing,” she said.
Four of the homes will be support recovery units, funded and managed by Northern Health in a separate wing of the building. Support services will be provided to residents with addiction issues who have either completed a primary withdrawal management program, are waiting for treatment or are ready to integrate back to the community.
“Supportive housing has a powerful impact on the people who call it home and supports the overall health of the community,” Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said in a July 11 press release announcing the beginning of construction for this project.
“These homes are more than a roof and a bed. We’re proud to work with community partners to provide a new start for people experiencing homelessness.”
Priority for the new housing would be given to Quesnel residents who meet the eligibility criteria, according to the press release.
BC Housing and Quesnel Shelter and Support Society would lead the resident selection process, in collaboration with local service providers. All new residents would pay rent and sign a program agreement and good neighbour agreement.
McDonald says people will be able to apply for this housing through the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society, most likely starting sometime this winter.
“Generally, they are going to be individuals who have or are experiencing homelessness who meet the income criteria and who have other barriers to accessing housing in the private market,” she explained.
Once tenants are in place at the new facility, they will be assigned a tenant support worker.
“We’re going to have tenant support workers to work with clients to help them meet whatever goals they have for themselves,” explained McDonald. “We’re going to have an activities worker, which is really exciting, to do various activities with tenants and different programming, whether that’s running support groups or doing cultural programming. Tenant support workers [will be there to assist] with really any goals — that could be counselling, it could be volunteer or work searches, it could be basic life skills like budgeting or even just learning how to live in your own apartment and keep it clean and de-cluttered.”
A community advisory committee is going to be developed to support the successful integration of the new building and residents into the community, with representation from BC Housing, the City of Quesnel, the RCMP, local businesses, community organizations and community members.
“There is a critical need for supportive housing in Quesnel,” Mayor Bob Simpson said in the release.
“This project will provide homes and supportive services to the people in our community who need it.”
Construction of the three-storey building is expected to be complete by July 2020.
“We’re really excited about it,” said McDonald. “We’re excited to be able to provide this in the community, and we’re looking forward to working with the community from that new location. It’s great.”
The provincial government provided approximately $9 million in capital and construction funding to develop this housing project. The Province will also provide annual operating funding.
According to the press release, the provincial government will also work closely with the City of Quesnel to identify a location for a new shelter site. In the meantime, the emergency shelter at 146 Carson Ave. will remain open until the new site is operational, and the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society will continue to operate this shelter.
The B.C. government is also addressing the need for more affordable housing for Indigenous people in Quesnel, with 27 homes underway through the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund, according to the press release.
