Victoria, Discovery Street - Supportive Housing

Rendering of an 8-storey supportive housing building with a warm-toned facade, trees, pedestrians, and parked cars.


BC Housing is building 90 units of permanent supportive housing at 726 Discovery Street in Victoria. This project is a major part of our effort to address and prevent homelessness in Victoria.

The Province originally announced this project in 2021 as part of the larger Douglas Street Redevelopment Project which involves the assembly and rezoning of various properties, including the Capital City Center Hotel at 1961 Douglas Street. It has since become a stand-alone project.

We selected this location for supportive housing because it is near Victoria’s downtown core and provides easy access to amenities via transit, car sharing, walking and cycling.

Kinetic Construction will begin site work, starting with excavation, in May 2025, with construction starting after that. We currently expect the building to be complete in 2027.

Rezoning and Development Permit are in place for this project. The City of Victoria approved BC Housing’s plan for the Discovery Street site in February 2024. The rezoning was adopted in March 2024 under the City of Victoria’s Fast Track for Affordable Housing Stream, as part of the larger Douglas Street assembly. To qualify, projects must be consistent with the City’s Official Community Plan, certain design guidelines and other key qualifying criteria.

Learn more about the City of Victoria's Fast Track for Affordable Housing and Official Community Plan

About the Building

The 8-storey steel frame building will have 90 studio apartments, each with its own bathroom and kitchenette. Nine units will be wheelchair accessible. There will also be:

  • A Central Kitchen
  • Communal Dining Area
  • Central Lounge
  • Administration and Office Space
  • Shared Laundry
  • A Single, Secure Point of Entry

The building will be set back from the street and screened by landscaping. A private outdoor amenity area will be on the lot’s south-east corner and will be landscaped for privacy.

BC Housing Design and Construction Standards apply Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) practices in all building projects. This includes security measures such as fenced grounds, a single point of entry, fob access, 24/7 staffed reception, security cameras and lighting.

About Supportive Housing

Supportive homes are deeply affordable studio apartments for people who need supports to maintain their housing.

Supportive housing residents are as varied as any other neighbour. In this building, residents would be single adults (19+) of all genders, including seniors, people with disabilities or any others who need supports to maintain stable housing.

All residents of supportive housing have made a choice to live there. All residents pay rent and sign agreements that outline program expectations.

Services and Supports

BC Housing has selected Our Place Society to operate the supportive homes and provide services to the residents. Our Place is an experienced non-profit housing operator that operates several shelters and supportive housing developments for Greater Victoria's most vulnerable.

Our Place will provide 24/7 staffing, daily meals, life-skills training, employment assistance and counselling, physical and mental health resources, and access to addiction treatment and recovery services. Our Place staff will be on site 24/7 to support residents and provide a point of contact for neighbours.

Community Engagement

A caring community contributes greatly to the success of supportive housing residents. BC Housing and Our Place are committed to being a good neighbour and keeping lines of communication open as this project moves forward.

On February 7, 2022, the Burnside Gorge Community Association hosted a public Community Land Use Committee (CALUC) meeting. This was part of the City’s rezoning process for the original Douglas Street Redevelopment project. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting took place virtually.

On March 31, 2022, BC Housing hosted an additional information session about the supportive housing element of this project. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting took place virtually. View the session presentation.

In April 2025, we mailed a letter to neighbours within 200m of the project site to share an update about the project’s construction start in May 2025. When the project is complete, we plan to offer community tours of the new building and introduce the housing staff. We will also share direct contact information with neighbours and address any issues quickly and collaboratively.

Questions?

We welcome questions and comments about this project anytime by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.


BC Housing is building 90 units of permanent supportive housing at 726 Discovery Street in Victoria. This project is a major part of our effort to address and prevent homelessness in Victoria.

The Province originally announced this project in 2021 as part of the larger Douglas Street Redevelopment Project which involves the assembly and rezoning of various properties, including the Capital City Center Hotel at 1961 Douglas Street. It has since become a stand-alone project.

We selected this location for supportive housing because it is near Victoria’s downtown core and provides easy access to amenities via transit, car sharing, walking and cycling.

Kinetic Construction will begin site work, starting with excavation, in May 2025, with construction starting after that. We currently expect the building to be complete in 2027.

Rezoning and Development Permit are in place for this project. The City of Victoria approved BC Housing’s plan for the Discovery Street site in February 2024. The rezoning was adopted in March 2024 under the City of Victoria’s Fast Track for Affordable Housing Stream, as part of the larger Douglas Street assembly. To qualify, projects must be consistent with the City’s Official Community Plan, certain design guidelines and other key qualifying criteria.

Learn more about the City of Victoria's Fast Track for Affordable Housing and Official Community Plan

About the Building

The 8-storey steel frame building will have 90 studio apartments, each with its own bathroom and kitchenette. Nine units will be wheelchair accessible. There will also be:

  • A Central Kitchen
  • Communal Dining Area
  • Central Lounge
  • Administration and Office Space
  • Shared Laundry
  • A Single, Secure Point of Entry

The building will be set back from the street and screened by landscaping. A private outdoor amenity area will be on the lot’s south-east corner and will be landscaped for privacy.

BC Housing Design and Construction Standards apply Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) practices in all building projects. This includes security measures such as fenced grounds, a single point of entry, fob access, 24/7 staffed reception, security cameras and lighting.

About Supportive Housing

Supportive homes are deeply affordable studio apartments for people who need supports to maintain their housing.

Supportive housing residents are as varied as any other neighbour. In this building, residents would be single adults (19+) of all genders, including seniors, people with disabilities or any others who need supports to maintain stable housing.

All residents of supportive housing have made a choice to live there. All residents pay rent and sign agreements that outline program expectations.

Services and Supports

BC Housing has selected Our Place Society to operate the supportive homes and provide services to the residents. Our Place is an experienced non-profit housing operator that operates several shelters and supportive housing developments for Greater Victoria's most vulnerable.

Our Place will provide 24/7 staffing, daily meals, life-skills training, employment assistance and counselling, physical and mental health resources, and access to addiction treatment and recovery services. Our Place staff will be on site 24/7 to support residents and provide a point of contact for neighbours.

Community Engagement

A caring community contributes greatly to the success of supportive housing residents. BC Housing and Our Place are committed to being a good neighbour and keeping lines of communication open as this project moves forward.

On February 7, 2022, the Burnside Gorge Community Association hosted a public Community Land Use Committee (CALUC) meeting. This was part of the City’s rezoning process for the original Douglas Street Redevelopment project. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting took place virtually.

On March 31, 2022, BC Housing hosted an additional information session about the supportive housing element of this project. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting took place virtually. View the session presentation.

In April 2025, we mailed a letter to neighbours within 200m of the project site to share an update about the project’s construction start in May 2025. When the project is complete, we plan to offer community tours of the new building and introduce the housing staff. We will also share direct contact information with neighbours and address any issues quickly and collaboratively.

Questions?

We welcome questions and comments about this project anytime by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.

Page published: 17 Apr 2025, 09:54 AM