Duncan - 260 White Road

Illustrative rendering of modular housing. With bikes and landscaping.

The above image is a rendering subject to change.

Creating healthy, safe, stable homes for people in Duncan

BC Housing, the City of Duncan, and partners are working together to build approximately 48 supportive homes at 260 White Road. These homes will be for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in Duncan.

The new building will be operated by a non-profit provider that will be selected through a competitive procurement process.

Construction

In October 2023, the modular contractor responsible for construction declared bankruptcy. As a result, work on the 48-unit supportive housing project was paused, as BC Housing secured the site and worked to secure a new contractor.

We’re happy to share the news that construction has now resumed. BC Housing has hired Knappett Projects Inc. to complete the remaining work on this project. Located on Vancouver Island, Knappett is a leader in the construction industry with over 700 completed projects and four decades of experience.

Community Engagement

To ensure that everyone had an opportunity to learn more, ask questions and provide feedback, BC Housing hosted four neighbourhood dialogues in August 2020. In February 2021, we hosted two more dialogue sessions which focused on the exterior design of the building. Due to COVID-19, these meetings took place virtually. For privacy, these sessions were not recorded, however the PowerPoint presentation can be viewed below:

Your questions and comments are important to us

We welcome questions and comments below in the Q&A tool or by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.

The above image is a rendering subject to change.

Creating healthy, safe, stable homes for people in Duncan

BC Housing, the City of Duncan, and partners are working together to build approximately 48 supportive homes at 260 White Road. These homes will be for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in Duncan.

The new building will be operated by a non-profit provider that will be selected through a competitive procurement process.

Construction

In October 2023, the modular contractor responsible for construction declared bankruptcy. As a result, work on the 48-unit supportive housing project was paused, as BC Housing secured the site and worked to secure a new contractor.

We’re happy to share the news that construction has now resumed. BC Housing has hired Knappett Projects Inc. to complete the remaining work on this project. Located on Vancouver Island, Knappett is a leader in the construction industry with over 700 completed projects and four decades of experience.

Community Engagement

To ensure that everyone had an opportunity to learn more, ask questions and provide feedback, BC Housing hosted four neighbourhood dialogues in August 2020. In February 2021, we hosted two more dialogue sessions which focused on the exterior design of the building. Due to COVID-19, these meetings took place virtually. For privacy, these sessions were not recorded, however the PowerPoint presentation can be viewed below:

Your questions and comments are important to us

We welcome questions and comments below in the Q&A tool or by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.

Have a question? Write below

Please share your ideas for how we can support and build an inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity for a safe and healthy place to live.  

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  • How do you get someone on the list. My mother is 65 and homeless.

    AshK asked over 3 years ago

    BC Housing has a range of programs to provide housing assistance for residents of BC. This includes various subsidized housing options as well as rent supplements in which part of an individual's rent is paid for by BC Housing. You can view this site to search housing listings in a specific area: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/rental-housing/housing-listings

    The Program Finder can be used to learn which programs your mother might be eligible for: https://programfinder.bchousing.org/programfinder/faces/start

    For more assistance with the housing application, please contact Applicant Services at 1-800-257-7756 (toll-free).

  • Your engagement process is very flawed; meetings in the summer when people are away on holidays and at times of the day when most of us are at work. Will you be hosting more sessions in September? As this is being done under the guise of 'paramountcy', in other words nothing else matters, how is there any value to the other people and business owners in the neighborhood to voice their concerns? As this is a forgone conclusion, I suppose the most important questions is this...if this turns into a disater and the crime rates go up, how is BC Housing going to manage and fix it? Any when I ask that question I would like a genuine answers, not some boiler plate answer. Are you going to engage and sign a community neighborhood agreement with us that lays out how you will resolve concerns as they arise? And finally, I just spent close to $200k renovating a space for my business and had I known you guys were doing this I would have went elsewhere. So you've devalued my investment with no consultation in advance. Why are my (and my neighbors) rights of less value than the homeless?

    Brian D asked over 3 years ago

    Hello Brian, 

    Thank you for your inquiry. Due to the volume of inquiries, we apologize for the delay in getting back to you.  BC Housing hosted 4 virtual information sessions regarding the project, including two over lunch hours and two during after work hours. We continue to be committed to listening to feedback from the local community. 

    One of the ways we can ensure ongoing community listening and involvement is through a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that will oversee the integration of these new homes into the community and address any concerns raised by people in the neighbourhood. CACs are a key part of how we ensure that supportive housing buildings integrate well into their neighbourhoods, and our experience is that they have been very effective at helping communities work together to address concerns and ensure residents build positive connections with neighbours. BC Housing will establish a CAC, which will include representation from BC Housing, the non-profit housing operator, Island Health, RCMP, local businesses and community members. 

    In 2019, BC Housing engaged Insight Specialty Consulting to research the market impacts of the introduction of non-market housing into a neighbourhood. Thirteen sites were selected from across B.C. representing a range of BC Housing-funded sites. The report summarizes the key findings of 13 case studies to draw conclusions about the impacts of non-market housing on surrounding property values. A full technical report is also available, including a more detailed methodology, as well as key findings related to residential sale prices and assessed commercial property values: https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre/library/community-acceptance/property-values-case-study-series&sortType=sortByDate

    We know from evidence in BC and internationally that communities are safer and healthier when people have housing and the supports they need. In new supportive housing buildings, it can take some time for residents to settle into the building, but it is our experience that after a few months, residents stabilize and any public disturbances decrease dramatically. BC Housing, the RCMP, the City of Duncan, Island Health and the housing operator will be working in coordination to support a healthy and inclusive community for the new residents and the surrounding neighbourhood.

    The most important security feature, both for residents and the community, would be the staffing. The building would have staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that residents are supported and that any concerns are addressed in the timely manner. 

  • I have dual citizenship in Canada and USA how long would I need to live in Canada to get residency?

    Smile39 asked over 3 years ago

    For information on housing eligibility please visit our website: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance

  • You stated, "Research completed in 2019 of 13 BC supportive housing sites showed that property values immediately surrounding 10 sites either kept pace or surpassed surrounding municipal trends. Property values for the other three sites were not notably different compared to municipal trends." Clearly this is untrue. A senior couple on Lewis St., just down the road from Warmland Shelter in Duncan could only sell their home if they dropped the price $75,000 below the market value. Please provide us a link to that research. Who did the research and who paid for the research? Thank you.

    Sharon Jackson asked over 3 years ago

    The research that BC Housing commissions aims to provide a deeper understanding of housing data from communities across British Columbia. I invite you to take a look at our research library, on our website: https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre

    Regarding the study you reference, BC Housing engaged Insight Specialty Consulting to research the market impacts of the introduction of non-market housing into a neighbourhood. Thirteen sites were selected from across B.C. representing a range of BC Housing-funded sites. The report summarizes the key findings of 13 case studies to draw conclusions about the impacts of non-market housing on surrounding property values. A full technical report is also available, including a more detailed methodology, as well as key findings related to residential sale prices and assessed commercial property values: https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre/library/community-acceptance/property-values-case-study-series&sortType=sortByDate

  • My program with the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association is Housing Support Services, I am interested to know if this housing could include people from Nanaimo, I have 3 women that are in our encampment that would be interested in applying

    Wendy asked over 3 years ago

    Priority would be given to residents of the Cowichan Valley, which includes Ladysmith. BC Housing will work with the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association to include residents of the temporary tenting site in the thorough assessment process to ensure an appropriate mix of residents with the right supports live in the housing.

  • I noticed that the question a month ago by jfriesen about the issues with the homeland site was not actually answered. Promises were made yet the site and the surrounding area is a fenced eyesore. If issues similar to that around Warmland were to happen at the White Rd. location, would BC housing consider shutting it down until a review can take place and solutions come up with?

    KevinM asked over 3 years ago

    People often confuse supportive housing for a shelter. Shelters are an important first step. The primary focus for shelters is to bring people indoors to get warm, access food and get the support they need to move into housing. As opposed to operating like a shelter on a first come first serve basis, the White Road supportive housing development will provide long-term rental units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness who need support with varying health and personal challenges and needs. Supportive housing  provides a home with access to on-site supports to ensure people can achieve and maintain housing stability. Residents have access to their own self-contained studio apartment. All residents sign either a program or tenancy agreement and  participate in programming based on an individualized case plan. All residents are able to access the services provided by non-profit housing operators, such as  life-skills training, and connections to primary health care, mental health and/or substance use services.

  • I have a few a questions. 1.) Will the supportive housing unit allow residents to use substances on site? Will BC Housing provide a specific smoking area to prevent people smoking and dumping their refuse on the street? 2.) How will BC Housing manage the guests of residents from taking up residence outside the building and damaging the surrounding area? 3.) Will BC Housing provide tenants, their guests and staff areas to park on the property? There is extremely limited street parking space on white road already. 4.) Are residents of the supportive housing unit expected to be working and paying rent? Or will the housing unit be completely filled with persons on social income assistance?

    JD asked over 3 years ago

    1.    We take a harm reduction approach, which means staff is available to support any residents who are in various phases of substance use and the building will be set up with the ability to provide a safe consumption space for residents only, to ensure the safety of residents who are active substance users. When tenants are ready to make a change, staff on site will connect them with the appropriate support services. Outdoor amenity space will be provided for residents on the property. 

    2.    BC Housing and the operator are committed to being a good neighbour in developing new supportive housing that is an asset to the community. Giving people stable housing and access to supports keeps them off the street. Drop in services at supportive housing sites are not provided, nor is there any reason why people would be loitering outside. Both staff and residents are committed to keeping the property and neighborhood maintained with a daily clean-up, just as any other resident in the neighborhood.   

    3.    Supportive housing typically has a low demand for parking because many residents do not have vehicles. Traffic generation from supportive housing tends to be low and is mainly driven by staff who work in the building. The building will have a number of parking spots included in the design plans for staff, visitors and residents.

    4.    People who apply to live in the housing would need to meet eligibility requirements around income; all residents will pay rent. Residents may have various sources of income, including employment, disability, pensions, or social assistance. 


  • Why is $1.2Billion being spent on housing people who are homeless instead of investing more money back into mental health care, to prevent people from ever becoming homeless in the first place? Why are our tax dollars being pissed away on bandaid solutions, rather than addressing the root causes of homelessness?

    jfriesen asked over 3 years ago

    People experiencing homelessness are not a homogenous group and have many different pathways into homelessness – they may be seniors, people with disabilities, people who have jobs but no housing, people who are working through mental health concerns and/or substance use. 

    That’s why supportive housing tailors its response to clients, to help them maintain their housing. This housing will bring in supports and services that people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in your community need. We believe that everyone deserves access to secure housing. BC Housing’s goal is to provide programs and services for residents that seek to break the cycle of homelessness. Our supportive housing buildings are operated based on the widely recognized and proven Housing First (learn more: https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/housing-first) model. In order to help people, we need to first give them a safe and secure place to sleep, food to eat, and access to services so that they can move forward with their lives.

    Supportive housing is also less costly for taxpayers than doing nothing. 

    - On average, a person experiencing homelessness with addictions and/or mental illness used $55,000 per year in health care and/or corrections services, compared to $37,000 for a person in supportive housing.

    - A 2019 B.C. study showed that supportive housing residents, when compared to emergency shelter clients, were 64% less likely than emergency shelter clients to use ambulance services and experienced 50% shorter hospital stays.


  • White Rd is a tiny community that is cut off from the rest of town by traffic, and geography. We are not just part of Duncan, we are really our own little bubble of neighbours. There's less than 30 homes in this community. If the idea of this housing is to integrate the residents into the community, how does anyone expect that to work if you are housing more people there than there are in the community already?

    jfriesen asked over 3 years ago

    We understand your concerns regarding additional density in this area. BC Housing and the operator will be committed to being a good neighbour in developing new supportive housing that is an asset to the community on White Road and in the broader Duncan area.

  • 17 days ago you were asked "Will the questions and answers from all sessions be posted for all to see as we have three different times and days?" You posted the question, and did not answer it. Please answer the question.

    jfriesen asked over 3 years ago

    A summary of themes from the discussions will be posted on this page, above.

Page last updated: 21 Mar 2024, 04:27 PM