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Three housing projects open in Greater Victoria for people experiencing homelessness

Mix of funding from various government levels
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A new supportive housing project on Albina Street has just opened. (Screenshot courtesy of Grant McKenzie)

Three new housing projects have now opened in Greater Victoria, providing homes for more than 135 people who were experiencing homelessness.

The first project, called House of Courage, is located at 865 Catherine St. It will provide 45 homes for Indigenous Peoples experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The four-storey, purpose-built modular supportive housing building will be operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society with around-the-clock on-site staff support, including daily meal services, employment and life-skills programming, health and wellness services, and culturally appropriate supports.

The province, through BC Housing, provided $5.7 million to the House of Courage project through the Building BC: Supportive Housing Fund. The Capital Regional District provided $11.3 million through the federal Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI).

Delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), RHI provides capital contributions to develop new, permanent affordable homes. RHI contributions cover costs to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and/or the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitating or converting them to permanent affordable, supportive or transitional housing.

The RHI is supporting two other projects for people experiencing homelessness in the CRD that are opening soon: 2933, 2941 and 2949 Albina St., Saanich: 52 new homes with supports, opening in April 2023; and 7606 E. Saanich Rd. (formerly 1909 Prosser Rd.), Central Saanich: 39 new homes with supports, opening in spring 2023.

The opening of the Albina Street project came with a video showing the inside.

The B.C. government is supporting the three projects with Supportive Housing Fund grants and annual operating funding.

READ MORE: Victoria needs affordable rentals, not Harris Green and ‘rampant demolitions’

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