The province has extended funding to allow The Village project for transitional housing at 610 Trunk Rd. to continue until 2027.
The province, through BC Housing, will provide approximately $1.5 million in annual operating funding for The Village until the end of 2026.
The funding extension is through B.C.’s newly established Homelessness Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program.
RELATED STORY: VILLAGE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING SITE ON TRUNK ROAD IN DUNCAN GETS 18-MONTH RENEWAL
HEARTH provides emergency housing, shelter options and immediate co-ordinated supports to help people in encampments or sheltering in public spaces to move indoors and access temporary or permanent housing options that fit their needs.
The Village, which is owned by BC Housing and operated by the Lookout Housing and Health Society, has 34 modular sleeping cabins that are currently occupied by 30 unhoused people who would otherwise be homeless, and wraparound services are provided 24 hours a day.
“The Village has been a tremendous success in Duncan, and we are proud to help ensure its residents can continue to stay in their homes, while we work to open more permanent housing in the community,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of Housing.
“Homelessness is not a problem that can be easily solved, which is why we will continue to explore unique and innovative initiatives like The Village to support B.C.’s most vulnerable people.”
RELATED STORY: CITY OF DUNCAN WANTS TO SEE MORE MODELS OF THE VILLAGE IN B.C.
The Village was operating at two different sites, with one on St. Julien Street and the other on The Mound on Government Street, as a pilot project by the Cowichan Housing Association to provide immediate housing for vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and moved to the Trunk Road property in 2022.
The plan is for residents at The Village to eventually move to permanent supportive housing projects in the community, including a 50-unit project by BC Housing at 260 White Rd. that is under construction.
“The Village opened in July, 2020, and continues to improve as we learn and adapt,” said Michelle Staples, mayor of Duncan.
“What began as a pandemic response has grown into a culturally safe wellness and recovery model. This site fills an essential gap in the continuum of housing, and the city is pleased to receive continued support from the province.”
