106 new supportive housing units coming soon

The Province and the City of Surrey have reached a Memorandum of Understanding that will aid the fight against homelessness in BC’s second largest municipality.

Premier Gordon Campbell today announced plans to create up to 172 new supportive housing units and 20 new sobering beds in Surrey.

The Province and the City of Surrey have agreed to create up to 106 new supportive housing units, to be built by 2010, on two City-owned sites. The Province will also purchase two existing buildings, which will provide an additional 66 supportive housing units.

“The Province is committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness, both by partnering with the City of Surrey to expedite new supportive housing and by purchasing existing properties to provide more immediate housing for those in greatest need,” said Campbell. “These four sites will help address homelessness in Surrey, and we look forward to more housing and support services to come.”

“The City of Surrey is proactively responding to the issue of homelessness by providing these two City-owned sites,” said Surrey mayor Dianne Watts. “By partnering with the Province to expedite these sites, we are committed to creating affordable, supportive housing for people living in Surrey who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.”

The first City-owned property, 13670 94A Ave., will provide supportive housing to men and women requiring drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation and/or who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The development will include a 20-bed sobering centre, up to 30 units of stabilization and transitional housing, up to 40 units of supportive housing, and space for outreach addictions services and a mental health clinic. A proposal call seeking applications from non-profit societies to manage and operate the housing component will be undertaken shortly by the Province.

The second City-owned property, 13775-95 70th Ave., will be developed with about 36 self-contained supportive housing units for women and children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This development will be operated by YWCA Vancouver.

“While everyone needs safe, affordable housing, women with dependent children are especially vulnerable when they are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless,” said Janet Austin, chief executive officer of YWCA Vancouver. “With this development, the YWCA will be able to provide a safe home and the necessary support services to help residents make a successful transition to economic independence.”

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding agreement between the City of Surrey and the Province, the Province will pay all pre-development costs to design the two developments through to the issuance of development and building permits. The City has agreed to provide these sites and to ensure the approval process is expedited in a timely fashion.

Two additional properties with existing units are being purchased by the Province for $5.4 million to provide more immediate access to supportive housing. The first property, 13630-32 110A Ave., will be operated by Cwenengitel Aboriginal Society as a 12-person recovery house for Aboriginal men who have been through addictions treatment. The second property, 13245 King George Hwy., will be operated by Fraserside Community Services Society and provide 54 units of supportive housing.