By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

44 units of modular housing coming to Nanaimo to help the most vulnerable

Jan 25, 2018 | 12:31 PM

NANAIMO — Nanaimo’s most vulnerable and at-risk residents will soon have a new place to stay.

The B.C. ministry of municipal affairs and housing announced Thursday a new $7 million, 44-unit modular housing project will be built in south Nanaimo on Cranberry Ave., beside Chase River Elementary School.

Municipal affairs and housing minister Selina Robinson said in a release the province is paying for the cost of the development while the City is providing the land.

“Solving the housing crisis affecting people in Nanaimo…won’t be easy, but when we work together and work quickly, we can create safe, affordable homes for people who need them,” she said.

The project is similar to the existing Uplands Walk supportive housing project operated by Pacifica Hosuing, where quickly built individual units are stacked to look like an apartment complex.

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Dean Fortin, executive director of Pacifica Housing, said the new development will offer supports and services to help people re-organize their lives, such as making sure they get to specific meetings, set up and keep all their appointments and learn necessary life skills. There will also be group training and meal programs.

“With the right levels of support they can succeed in housing and hopefully transition back into the housing market,” Fortin said. “It’s all about working towards independence.”

Fortin said he’s seen amazing strides in those who live in the Uplands project once the constant fear of living on the street is removed.

“Very very quickly, as people come in, they calm down. They don’t have that constant stress of what’s the next meal, where am I going to sleep? That sense of security makes a fundamental change.”

Once the location was announced, beside a school and in a residential area, concerns rose and spread quickly online.

Bruce Anderson, manager of community and cultural planning with the City, said there’s evidence the land selection won’t be as controversial as it seems.

“We do know there are concerns and fears at the outset and with information, perhaps people get a better sense of these basically being a supervised apartment building and the impacts may not be as great as initially thought.”

Fortin said the current outcry reminded him of the voices heard about Uplands Walk, which were satisfied and died down after the project went ahead.

“We’ve done a full study with the City, (Vancouver Island University) and others and have come to realize that we’re very welcome in the community,” he said. “The local seniors centre, which was quite concerned about the local impact, is now excited to see it there.”

Much of the outcry was also over a lack of consultation, with many in the neighbourhood saying they only learned about the development coming to their community this week.

Anderson and Fortin said the land was chosen before any consultation and now they’ll go ahead with providing crucial information to the community.

An open house to address any concerns and provide information is scheduled for Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club at 1400 Cranberry Ave. and Anderson said the City welcomes any emails with questions they can answer.

It’s hoped construction on the complex can begin this spring.  

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