Courtenay - Braidwood & Ryan Road (925 Braidwood Road)

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BC Housing is working on a purpose-built shelter and supportive housing building at 925 Braidwood and Ryan Road, in Courtenay. BC Housing purchased this land in March 2024, in consultation with the City.

This development is an important part of our effort to address the urgent need to offer culturally safe, indoor shelter to people experiencing homelessness in the Comox Valley. The 2023 Point-in-Time homeless count identified 272 people experiencing homelessness in the community. This is a 106% increase from the previous count in 2020.

When vulnerable people have stable housing with a range of supports, they can access things like health care, wellness services and skills training to help rebuild their lives, supporting healthy and safe communities for everyone.

What is a purpose-built shelter?

Purpose-built shelters are intentionally designed spaces. Unlike shelters which are often set up in community centres, halls or other buildings, purpose-built shelters are designed specifically as temporary shelter spaces with specific features in mind to support those who stay there and the surrounding community. Compared to supportive housing, shelters are a temporary accommodation. A person could stay in a shelter from one night to a few months or longer. A case worker works with each shelter guest to help them along their individual journey to transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

Features of purpose-built housing and shelter may incorporate commercial kitchens, storage for belongings and private outdoor areas. They may also have features to mitigate any impacts in the surrounding community such as specific types of lighting, landscaping, fencing and security systems.

Moving indoors is an important step in a person’s transition out of homelessness and into stable housing. People without access to basic shelter must focus solely on survival. After a person can access a warm bed, washrooms, and meals, they are in a much better position to improve their housing situation and well-being.

What is supportive housing?

Supportive housing is an opportunity for people to leave the streets and shelter system for safe and stable housing that will contribute to an improved quality of life.

At 925 Braidwood Road, residents would pay rent and have a self-contained studio home with supports provided on-site to ensure they can achieve and maintain housing stability. Supports typically include:

• cultural supports
• 24/7 staff presence
• wellness checks
• life skills training
• employment assistance
• connection to other services

Resident Selection

Indigenous people are over-represented among Courtenay’s local homeless population. In the 2023 Point-in-Time homeless count for the Comox Valley, 28% of people experiencing homelessness self-identified as having Indigenous ancestry. In response to this, the supportive housing program will prioritize Indigenous members, followed by other equity seeking individuals.

Operator

BC Housing will select a non-profit operator for this project through a fair and open process. They will be responsible for managing the building, the property, and providing support services to the residents. The chosen operator will also bring experience and knowledge to build the relationships needed to make this housing successful in the community.

Rezoning and Development

Braidwood is currently zoned at Residential Four A (R-4A). Rezoning is required to permit the proposed use. Rezoning was approved unanimously by City Council in August, 2024 and formally adopted on September 11, 2024. The project will now move through the Development and Building Permit process and operator selection.

We currently expect construction to begin sometime in 2025.

Community Engagement

We hosted a design feedback period from June 21 to July 24, 2024. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the discussion guide and submitted feedback forms. We also hosted an in-person open house for the community on July 18, 2024 in Courtenay. At the event, we displayed the latest project information, met community members and answered questions. Thank you to everyone who attended.

For more details and information view the summary engagement report.

Input from all engagement activities will help shape the final project design. BC Housing will consider all community input along with technical, cultural, and financial factors.

Please watch for upcoming engagement opportunities in the coming months.