People experiencing or at risk of homelessness in North Vancouver will soon have new housing options.

 The Province of B.C. and the District of North Vancouver have partnered to develop new temporary homes.

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“This is an important collaboration with the District of North Vancouver to help end homelessness in the community,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “The new temporary homes will provide a safe, supportive place for people experiencing homelessness, while new permanent supportive housing continues to be developed in the community.”

The province, through BC Housing, and the District of North Vancouver are exploring adding as many as 40 temporary homes on vacant lots at 1182 Welch Street.

These additions would be part of the Homelessness Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and Homelessness Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program.

“Partnering with BC Housing on this important initiative will help bring support and stability to some of our most vulnerable community members,” said Mike Little, mayor, District of North Vancouver. “This project responds to needs we know exist in our community, especially for residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness.”

These proposed temporary homes with supports are subject to municipal and other approvals.

These temporary homes would be prioritized for adults in the North Vancouver community who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and need support services to maintain stable housing.

BC Housing and Lookout Housing and Health Society will use a community-based process to offer temporary housing to people suited to their individual needs and available supports.

Lookout will provide a variety of services to residents, such as at least three staff on site 24/7, two meals a day, skills training, and health and community support referrals.

In addition to these services, there will be security features, such as fencing, camera monitoring, and a controlled single point of entry.

These temporary homes will serve as a bridge while new permanent supportive housing is built in the community.