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Homelessness in Kamloops

Province buys North Shore’s Fortune Motel, announces plans for 40 supportive housing units

Jun 11, 2021 | 1:54 PM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. government has announced it has purchased the Fortune Motel on the Kamloops North Shore.

In a news release, Attorney General and Housing Minister David Eby says work will now begin to turn the facility into 40 units of temporary supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Renovations will be underway soon on the property at Fortune Drive and Vernon Avenue, and the housing is expected to open in early fall of this year.

In the long-term, Eby says B.C. Housing and the City of Kamloops will work together to determine a permanent plan for the property.

Eby says a request for proposals (RFP) for an operator to manage the Fortune property will go out in the weeks to come. The future management organization “will provide support services, such as daily meals, mentorship and life-skills training.”

Once B.C. Housing selects an organization to manage the housing, Eby says it will need to ensure the facility is well-integrated in the neighbourhood.

“The future non-profit operator will also set up a community advisory committee that will oversee the supportive housing’s integration within the community and address any concerns raised by people in the neighbourhood,” notes the release.