Federal government has transferred former RCMP property on School Road to town for $1; new facility will house 65 people
(By News Desk)
The federal government has transferred the ownership of the former RCMP property at 739-749 School Road to the Town of Gibsons, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones MP (Liberal – Sunshine Coast Sea to Sky) announced today at the Gibsons Public Market. A new, transitional housing facility at the site will house 65 people in 40 units.
BC Housing has a budget of $14 million to build the facility which is expected to open next year.
The units with a minimum size of 210-square feet will house young people aging out of foster care, seniors, older women with limited finances and people of all ages in need of supportive housing. RainCity Housing will manage the facility and two staff members will be present 24 hours a day, RainCity program manager of homelessness services Nick Gaskin said.
The present building will be demolished. Mayor Bill Beamish hopes parts of the structure can be made available to the public for free. “I’ve seen this on Haida Gwaii,” he said. “It’s a great idea to recycle building materials that can still be used.”
He is happy the building will provide an opportunity for 25 people to live together. “Nobody should be forced to live alone because of housing,” he said.
Beamish has not seen the design of the building but expects it to be modular and more than one storey tall. The project requires rezoning.
“This is not a shelter, these are homes, and the whole community gets lifted up by this opportunity,” MLA (NDP) Nicholas Simons said.
Goldsmith-Jones said she is “super proud” of all the work that has been done to make this project happen. “This facility will help people succeed in life.”
The transitional housing project in Sechelt will house 40 people and open its doors in mid-April.
I live in the neighbourhood where this facility will be built. I am completely supportive. It’s probably a drop in the bucket compared to the need that is out there. I’d like to see more accommodation like this built, but even better would be to find a cure for the housing crisis that is creating so much desperation.
I hope this isn’t just a Trojan horse full of vancouver junkies. If it is, your quaint idealism re all those poor-sweet-hardworking-salt-of the-earth victims of the ‘housing crisis will be in for something of a reality check.