Homewood: Temporary Housing Units

People who were previously living in shelters and encampments in Campbell River now have a roof over their heads and access to services they need at Homewood, a new 40-unit temporary supportive housing project.

"These homes will bring people sheltering outdoors inside where they can access the supports they need to begin stabilizing their lives," said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. "Our government is working hard to make communities safer by delivering real solutions to address complex challenges and respond to community concerns. Homewood will help people get on a better path and live full, healthy lives, leading to a stronger community."

Homewood, formerly HEARTH Village, at 1299 Homewood Rd. consists of eight separate modular buildings. Five of the buildings contain eight sleeping units for a total of 40 homes. Each sleeping unit is designed for one person. Each unit has a bed, desk, space to store personal belongings and a locking door. The three other buildings on site provide shared facilities, such as washrooms, showers, laundry machines and a dining area.

People began moving into Homewood on Nov. 21, 2024. The new homes are prioritized for people who have lived in the area for at least two years and stayed in local shelters and encampments.

Homewood is operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society, with staff on site 24/7. Residents will receive daily meals, access to skills training, case planning for required services, and health and community support referrals.

Safety features at Homewood for residents and the community include an experienced operator, regular sweeps of the property to maintain cleanliness and a requirement for residents to abide by a program agreement that addresses expectations about appropriate and respectful behaviour.

This is the first project in Campbell River created through the Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program. Homewood was the subject of community consultation in March and September 2024.

Homewood is a temporary housing solution and will be in place for a minimum of three years. The Province, through BC Housing, continues to work with the City of Campbell River to identify and build new permanent supportive housing.

This project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has more than 90,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 400 homes in Campbell River.

Quotes:

Kermit Dahl, mayor, Campbell River -

“This rapid housing initiative and our partnership with the Province is an important step forward in the work the city is doing to address homelessness in Campbell River. Providing safe housing options and support services for people experiencing homelessness is one way Campbell River city council is enhancing health and safety for all residents.”

Shayne Williams, CEO, Lookout Housing and Health Society -

"This unique program will create opportunities for residents to begin their journey to stabilization and wellness with the goal of working toward securing permanent housing."

Quick Facts:

• The Province, through BC Housing, provided approximately $2.4 million through the HEARTH program to build the homes and will provide annual operating funding of approximately $1.8 million.
• The City of Campbell River owns the land and is leasing it to the Province for a nominal fee.
• The City of Campbell River also funded all civil works and site preparation costs.
• The HEARTH program is part of Belonging in BC, the Province's plan to prevent and reduce homelessness.

Learn More:

For more information about the HEART and HEARTH programs, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/HEART-HEARTH

To read the Belonging in BC plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BelongingStrategy.pdf

The City of Campbell River and BC Housing are holding an open house so community members can learn more about the temporary housing coming to 1299 Homewood Road and meet the operator.

Lookout Housing and Health Society, the selected operator of the site, will be on hand to answer questions.

“We are pleased to welcome Lookout into Campbell River and value their contribution to the creation of a safe space for community members in urgent need of housing,” said Kermit Dahl, City of Campbell River Mayor. “Having a trusted operator in place for Homewood is a key step in the work we are doing with BC Housing to address the cycle of homelessness in our community, and the work we are doing as a Council to create a healthy and safe community for all.”

Established in 1971, Lookout is a non-profit charitable organization that provides a range of housing and health solutions to vulnerable adults living with multiple challenges. Lookout serves 22 municipalities in Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and has been operating The Village, a tiny home community in Duncan, since 2022.

“Lookout is thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with the residents of Campbell River to share our vision for Homewood, and our successes with the "tiny home" program,” said Shayne Williams, CEO of Lookout Housing and Health Society. “This unique program will create opportunities for Campbell River residents experiencing homelessness to begin their journey to stabilization and wellness, with the goal of working towards securing housing. Under Lookout's leadership, Homewood will strive to become a valuable local resource through added safety measures, resident empowerment and community engagement.”

Lookout will oversee day-to-day operations of the site, which will include 24/7 on-site staff and support services such as peer support, skills training and assistance with navigating the housing system.

“This new temporary housing will help create a healthier and safer Campbell River, where vulnerable people can access the services and supports they need, surrounded by a community they know and trust,” said Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island. “Our government is proud to be working with the City of Campbell River and Lookout to support Homewood and we look forward to sharing more details about the site with the community.”

The open house will take place on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Maritime Heritage Centre (Rotary Hall) at 621 Island Hwy. Community members who wish to attend the drop-in open house are encouraged to RSVP via https://homewood-september-open-house.eventbrite.ca.

About the Project

Homewood (previously referred to as HEARTH Village) will have 40 sleeping units, with access to a shared amenity space and washrooms. Residents will be selected through a Coordinated Access and Assessment process that will:

• Place some of the people who have been staying in community shelters into temporary housing with supports, which will help free up shelter beds for those sleeping outside or in encampments; and
• Prioritize people from the local community.

The City of Campbell River owns the property at 1299 Homewood Road. This site was chosen for temporary housing because it is immediately available, already in use for overnight sheltering and is close to community services.

The opening of Homewood is anticipated ahead of the coming winter with the exact date to be determined.

For more information about Homewood, the operator and other initiatives underway in Campbell River to respond to the challenges of homelessness, visit www.getinvolved.campbellriver.ca/homewood and www.letstalkhousingbc.ca/campbell-river-homewood-road.

CAMPBELL RIVER – People experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Campbell River will soon have access to 40 temporary units with supports created through a partnership between the Province, through BC Housing, and the City of Campbell River.

“I’m excited that our government is partnering with the City of Campbell River for the creation of HEARTH Village,” said Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island. “This project was first proposed at the Union of BC Municipalities conference in September 2023, and I’m proud of how quickly we've been able to move from concept to construction. This project also couldn’t have happened without the support of Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside and local community members.”

Located at 1299 Homewood Rd., the site will be known as the HEARTH Village and will have individual units for as many as 40 people to sleep and store their belongings, as well as a shared amenity space and washrooms. An experienced non-profit organization is being retained to operate HEARTH Village. Staff will be on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will provide support services, such as daily meals, access to skills training, and health and community support referrals.

People sheltering outdoors need a safe space to sleep, and through our new Homelessness Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program, we’re providing that option along with basic amenities,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “We will continue to work with the City of Campbell River and other municipalities throughout the province to develop more housing options so people in our communities have options to move indoors.”

HEARTH Village was a concept started by the City and supported by the Table of Partners, which included the Downtown Campbell River Business Improvement Association and service providers. The Province, through BC Housing, is providing capital costs and funding, which is currently being determined. The City of Campbell River is providing the land for the project, as well as funding the civil works and site preparation costs. It is expected that HEARTH Village could open by mid-2024.

Campbell River has an urgent need to serve people who are experiencing homelessness and to help address encampments and associated challenges in our community,” said Kermit Dahl, Mayor of Campbell River. “In keeping with city council’s commitment to community health and safety, our partnership with the Province will reduce some of the challenges our community is experiencing and will provide new, safe housing options.”

The project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 78,000 homes delivered or underway, including approximately 280 in Campbell River.

Learn More:

Further details about this project, including information on avenues available for public engagement, are available online:

For details about the project, including public engagement:
http://www.letstalkhousingbc.ca/campbell-river-homewood-road

For more information about the HEART and HEARTH program, visit:
https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/HEART-HEARTH

A map showing the location of all announced provincially-funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

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

Contacts:

Ministry of Housing
Media Relations
236 478-0251

BC Housing
Media Relations
media@bchousing.org

City of Campbell River
communications@campbellriver.ca
250 286-5744