BC Housing and the CIty of Nanaimo are in discussions to extend the lease of the Labieux Rd. temporary housing complex by two years. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)
extension possible

Labieux Road temporary housing facility could remain open longer than planned

Sep 25, 2021 | 9:53 AM

NANAIMO — Citing delays in building permanent solutions, BC Housing wants to keep the Labieux Rd. temporary supportive housing facility open for two additional years.

The agency’s lease for 2060 Labieux Rd. expires on Oct. 31, 2021.

“BC Housing has been working diligently to build four permanent, purpose-built supportive housing sites, but due to a variety of reasons – including manufacturing delays due to COVID-19, staffing shortages as well as time to select a contractor – there have been some changes to the construction schedule,” read a statement from BC Housing.

The City of Nanaimo confirmed it is currently in lease extension discussions “to reflect the projected time frame of the remaining supportive housing projects.”

It’s unclear when City Council will decide on the request.

Eighty-six residents currently occupy the same number of individual living units at the Labieux Rd. site, located on City of Nanaimo property.

While the Labieux Rd. site appears poised to remain open, BC Housing stated it is in the process of moving residents out of Newcastle Place, the other temporary shelter operating in Nanaimo.

BC Housing stated some people residing in Newcastle Place at 250 Terminal Ave. will be re-located to Samaritan Place at 702 Nicol St., the first of four planned permanent purpose-built supportive housing developments.

The 66-unit Samaritan House is scheduled to open next month, according to BC Housing.

As for when Newcastle Place will close for good, BC Housing stated it’s difficult to say exactly when that facility will be removed.

“The exact timeline for the closure of the temporary housing is contingent on construction of other permanent supportive housing buildings.”

250 Terminal Ave. will end up being a permanent social housing facility, part of a substantial supportive housing agreement forged between BC Housing and the City of Nanaimo last year.

Other future supportive housing sites involve 355 Nicol St. and redeveloping the Community Services Building at 285 Prideaux St.

When the July 2020 housing announcement was made, the ministry of municipal affairs and housing hoped all sites would be developed within one to three years.

Nanaimo’s two temporary and controversial housing facilities were hastily assembled in the fall of 2018 after a BC Supreme Court injunction ordered the shut down of a large homeless encampment across from the Port Place shopping centre.

The encampment was in place for roughly six months in 2018, home to as many as 300 people.

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