Nanaimo, 285 Prideaux Street – Supportive Housing

BC Housing is pleased to announce the opening of Cornerstone on May 1, 2024, the new building at 285 Prideaux Street. The original Community Services Building at the site was previously used as a COVID-19 emergency response centre (ERC). In 2021, the City of Nanaimo transferred the lease for that building to BC Housing. The new building will provide 51 new permanent homes with supports for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Residents are expected to move into Cornerstone in May 2024.

What is supportive housing?

Supportive homes are deeply affordable studio apartments. They are intended for people who need support to maintain their housing. Residents will be single adults of all genders, including seniors and people with disabilities.

The supportive housing at Cornerstone will be offered to people who currently live in Nanaimo and have applied to live in the building. Residents will sign a lease with an addendum that addresses expectations about appropriate and respectful behaviour, especially as it relates to the health and safety of themselves and others. There will be a variety of health and safety services and supports onsite, including:

24/7 staffing and security
Meal programs
Life and employment skills training
Health and wellness support

Operator

Connective will operate Cornerstone and provide services to its residents. Connective has over 90 years of experience providing person-centered programs and services, including housing, to communities across BC and the Yukon.

Learn more about Connective at connective.ca.

Join the Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a place to share information, ask questions and raise concerns through respectful dialogue. This is an opportunity to foster a positive relationship and build a strong community together. The CAC will meet monthly for six months. Meetings will take place virtually.

To be considered for the role of Community Representative, please email communityrelations@bchousing.org to apply by end of day Monday, May 13, 2024.

We anticipate the first meeting of the CAC to take place after Cornerstone opens. Future meetings will be arranged at a time that suits committee members between 9am and 5pm.

Community Engagement

Early engagement – August 2020

BC Housing and our partners hosted online virtual neighbourhood meetings in August 2020, to share information about the project, answer questions and collect community feedback. Additional neighbourhood dialogues took place in December 2020 to discuss the project in more detail and collect feedback on the exterior and landscape design of the building.

Design engagement – December to January 2021

BC Housing engaged neighbours of 285 Prideaux Street to collect input into the design of the new building and surrounding property. The public was invited to submit their feedback through a survey published on this page between December 11, 2020 and January 6, 2021.

Questions and Comments

To support neighbours and the greater Nanaimo community, we have added a Who to Call infosheet. This sheet provides a quick list of important contacts, including the direct contact details for the supportive housing at Cornerstone.