Construction is underway on a 50-bed temporary housing facility on Old Victoria Rd., but a proposed 60-unit permanent housing complex nearby is raising infrastructure concerns for area residents. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

supportive housing

Expansion proposed for south Nanaimo temporary housing project

Mar 26, 2025 | 5:20 PM

NANAIMO — An already approved supportive housing project in the city’s south end could grow, subject to Council and provincial approval.

BC Housing submitted a re-zoning application to the City of Nanaimo on March 17 for their 1030 Old Victoria Rd. project, which is currently on track to see 50 temporary supportive housing units open by later this spring.

If the latest re-zoning is approved, it would pave the way for BC Housing’s plan of 60 permanent housing units with supports in a different area of the same lot at the McKenzie Ave. intersection.

“We’ve been listening to concerns and we continue to work with communities, like Nanaimo, to build much-needed supportive housing,” BC Housing said in a statement via email to NanaimoNewsNOW. “If rezoning is approved alongside other Provincial approvals, the McKenzie Avenue supportive housing would be constructed on a site adjacent to the temporary supportive housing project.”

Sixty permanent housing units are proposed on the same site where 50 temporary units are currently under construction in south Nanaimo. (BC Housing)

huge donation

Vital search and rescue equipment donated in Nanaimo for remote coastal First Nations

4h ago

Season Finale

Clippers lose to Eagles, fall to sixth place

12h ago

local votes

'I'm not concerned about it:' Nanaimo-Ladysmith Greens dismiss vote split worries

21h ago

Initially given the green light in the summer of 2024, the 50 units are under construction via modular building, to offer immediate housing for people in high need in the community.

The longer-term permanent facility would be managed under a yet-to-be-chosen local non-profit housing operator.

“The McKenzie Avenue supportive housing will create 60 studio homes, each with their own bathroom and kitchenette,” BC Housing added. “There would also be a shared amenity space, commercial kitchen, dining room, and laundry facilities for residents. Individuals living in temporary sites in Nanaimo that are slated to close would be prioritized for these homes.”

BC Housing also stated once the permanent homes were opened, in a yet-to-be-determined timeline, the temporary site would be dismantled.

A lease was signed last year between BC Housing and the City of Nanaimo for use of the Old Victoria Rd. property for three years, however it contains an option to extend the contract for an additional four years.

BC Housing is also in the process of building temporary housing on a Maki Rd. property in Chase River, where another 50 units are planned.

As of publishing, there are no plans for expansion of the project, according to BC Housing.

Windy roads and no sidewalks are a major concern for at least one area resident, with an expected influx of people without vehicles. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Infrastructure Concerns
News of the re-zoning application came as a shock to area residents, who received a letter from BC Housing recently outlining the developments.

Kayla Zielke lives directly across the street from the Old Victoria Rd. site and is unsure whether the community is able to support this increase, even temporarily.

She said she’s very much in favour of supportive housing and sees the need for it in Nanaimo, but has several safety concerns for those living at the facility.

“We’re a community located quite far outside the city and quite far out of the downtown, no resources, no sidewalks, no shoulders to even walk on to support…people that are all likely going to be pedestrians. Out of all the concerns we have the biggest one is for sure the lack of infrastructure.”

The nearest grocery stores, coffee shops or other amenities are around a 15-minute walk away, over half of which is on roads without sidewalks.

She said the area is heavily industrial with a bottle depot, storage units and other heavy commercial properties nearby.

Speeding traffic, an abundance of heavy machinery and a lack of community amenities in the surrounding area are also concerns.

“There’s no parks in the area, no walking areas. It just seems like they are, instead of doing things to build the city up, ‘let’s add some sidewalks and a park’, they’re not doing any of that. It’s just adding more communities in an already infrastructure-lacking area.”

The only sidewalks near the subject property is a roughly 100 metre section in front of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Zielke expressed frustrations with the process of trying to get answers to her questions, whether from City Council, the province or BC Housing.

“What I’ve been getting now is that it’s not in [Council’s] hands, and that it’s in BC Housing’s hands. I don’t get ever reply from BC Housing, so at this point, I’m just kind of at a loss. It seems like people just hand it off and then suddenly it’s somebody else’s problem. I’m going to advocate for this community, I think the south end is beautiful, and I think there’s so many great people here.”

In a follow up statement, sent Thursday, March 27, BC Housing stated they would “work with the City to determine if permanent amenities such as sidewalks or other infrastructure improvements are required.”

More details on the proposed McKenzie Ave. project are available on the BC Housing website.

We’re on Bluesky! Stay up to date on news across central Vancouver Island through Bluesky, by following @NanaimoNewsNOW.bsky.social.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook