Nanaimo – 1300 Island Highway South

50 units of temporary housing with supports at 1300 Island Highway South are opening in May 2025, with residents expected to begin moving in later that month.

This project is funded by the Province’s HEARTH program. It is also one of four temporary supportive housing projects in the community, totalling 238 units as outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in January 2024 with the City of Nanaimo.

Services and Supports

BC Housing will work with community service providers to assess potential residents and offer units based on their individual needs and the supports available. This process also ensures there is a balanced mix of residents.

As with other models of supportive housing, residents of the temporary housing at 1300 Island Hwy South will pay the shelter rate set by the Province ($500 for a single person, subject to periodic adjustments). This rate includes two meals a day and laundry services.

Support services will also include:

• 24/7 Staffing
• Outreach, Life Skills Training, Employment Assistance
• Connection and referral to Community Services and Support Groups

About the Operator

BC Housing has selected Connective through a fair and open process to manage the housing and provide services to the residents. The society has over 90 years of experience providing person-centered programs and services, including housing, to communities across BC and the Yukon.

Community Engagement

A caring community can contribute greatly to the success of supportive housing residents. BC Housing is committed to being a good neighbour and keeping lines of communication open.

To support neighbours and the greater Nanaimo community, we have made available a Who to Call infosheet that can be found in the right-hand sidebar of this web page. This sheet provides a quick list of important contacts, including the direct contact details for Connective at 1300 Island Hwy South.

We also welcome any questions or comments by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.

Spring 2024

BC Housing held two virtual community engagement sessions on Tuesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 7, 2024. A total of 24 people attended, and representatives from BC Housing and the City of Nanaimo participated in both events.

At these sessions, BC Housing discussed the HEARTH program, and project partners shared details about the temporary housing with supports at 1300 Island Highway South. Community members then participated in a Q&A period. See the Neighbourhood Dialogue Session presentation.

Provincial Election Fall 2024

BC Housing was unable to share updates, answer questions, host information sessions or further engage the community in any way from September 21 until November 18, 2024, due to communications restrictions during the BC Provincial Election.

Winter 2024/2025

An update regarding the selected operator, and timeline for modular installation on-site, was sent via email to interested and affected parties on December 6, 2024.

For further details, view the Engagement Summary Report.

BC Housing and the City of Nanaimo met with members of the Chase River Community Association on February 12, 2025, to introduce the Operator of the site. Connective shared their housing background and experience on Vancouver Island, and answered questions in lead up to the opening of 1300 Island Hwy S.

See the Meet the Operator presentation.

Spring 2025

Connective and BC Housing are hosting tours for immediate neighbours and interested parties ahead of resident move-ins, on Thursday, May 8, 2025.