Residents staying at a Parksville motel will be moved on by March 31 with BC Housing and the City ending an agreement for the shelter. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

expiring agreements

Temporary Parksville shelter to close by month’s end

Mar 23, 2023 | 5:27 AM

PARKSVILLE — A pop-up, temporary shelter is set to close next week.

Residents of the VIP Motel along the Island Hwy. through Parksville will be moved on from the facility by Friday, March 31, thanks to an expiring agreement between the City and BC Housing.

In a written statement to NanaimoNewsNOW, BC Housing confirmed no-one will be left to fend for themselves.

“In partnership with non-profit housing providers, BC Housing has offered new, safe, indoor accommodations to all remaining shelter guests. Due to privacy concerns, we are not identifying where these people will be relocating.”

The 23-room motel has operated at near capacity since November 2021 when it opened as a temporary housing option through BC Housing.

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It was run by the Oceanside Homelessness Ecumenical Advocacy Response Team Society (OHEARTS).

For the shelter to run, the City granted a temporary use permit so the use of the property could deviate from its zoning guidelines, which allow for tourism or hospitality uses.

A decision to not renew the permit and close the shelter came in early October with a 180 day deadline put in place for residents to move on. As part of the deadline, a compliance agreement was signed by the City and BC Housing to address concerns and ensure a March 31 end.

Feedback from the public was both positive and negative, according to the City of Parksville, when they held an open forum in September 2022.

Some expressed concerns regarding the facilities impact on tourism and surrounding businesses.

“We are confident BC Housing has satisfied the commitments made as part of the compliance agreement to operate the VIP Motel as temporary shelter by providing suitable alternative accommodations for residents housed at the motel,” Mayor Doug O’Brien said in a statement.

A statement from the City said the site was always designed to be temporary.

BC Housing, in conjunction with the provincial government, have opened over 50 supportive home facilities in the Parksville region since 2018.

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