Parksville City Council has agreed to let the former VIP Motel, a previously unsanctioned temporary supportive housing facility, to remain open for another six months. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

supportive housing

Future of temporarily housed residents at Parksville facility remains unclear

Sep 28, 2022 | 4:17 PM

PARKSVILLE — An extension granted by the City of Parksville allows marginalized populations to remain at a repurposed motel for another six months.

What happens after that is anybody’s guess.

The City announced a newly forged compliance agreement with BC Housing allowing 20 residents of the former VIP Motel, now known as Ocean Place, on the Island Hwy. at Moilliet St. to remain there until March 31, 2023.

The reversal from Parksvillle City Council follows a decision it made earlier this month to reject a temporary use permit at the site not zoned for supportive housing.

Parksville mayor Ed Mayne said the property was always intended to be a stop-gap solution to the local homelessness issue.

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He emphasized supportive housing is not a suitable use for the property.

“When they (area residents) bought their houses it was zoned as a hotel and not a support centre, and they have every right to expect that it should have been a hotel,” Mayne told NanaimoNewsNOW.

He called on other communities in the Oceanside region to step up and provide solutions, pointing to Orca Place and Parksville hotels as venues doing so locally.

“Parksvllle’s the only place that are covering for the homeless and what we think is that the other areas need to start to come to the table and come up with facilities as well.”

With only six months to find alternative housing solutions, a board member with the agency operating the old VIP Motel site on behalf of BC Housing is concerned.

While there’s relief residents won’t be booted before weather conditions worsen, Bob Tutty said it will undoubtedly be challenging for BC Housing to find a more permanent solution.

“They have people looking for property constantly for us, we just have to hope that they come up with something,” Tutty said.

Representing Oceanside Homelessness Ecumenical Advocacy (OHEARTS), Tutty said the overall housing climate locally is a big problem now and will remain so into the future.

“It’s not very good, we all know the housing situation in Parksville, it’s terrible. I think BC Housing will be on the hook for their care for some time.”

Kelly Morris is a recovered addict from Parksville who’s advocating for more permanent supportive housing solutions locally. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Oceanside area homeless advocate Kelly Morris is among the staff providing full-time services at the former VIP Motel.

She said the site is home to eight seniors inflicted with severe health challenges, women fleeing abuse and people with substance abuse and mental health issues.

“Honestly where are these people going to go? We have no temporary housing, they don’t want them on the street, yet they don’t want them housed, so what is the answer?”

Morris said on-site staff provide 24-hour-a-day supports, including daily room checks and providing necessary rides for clients to treatment and appointments.

“People are transitioning into treatment, it’s this what we want in a community that we’re able to move people forward into something better?”

The former VIP Motel property has been a temporary housing site for about a year.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes