Image Credit: A Way Home Kamloops supplied

By CFJC Today Staff

Supportive Housing

Construction underway for Katherine’s Place on the North Shore of Kamloops

Aug 4, 2022 | 3:06 PM

KAMLOOPS – Ground has been broken for a new supportive housing development in Kamloops. Katherine’s Place is meant to supply a safe roof over the heads of youth and young adults. It is named after the late Katherine McParland, who advocated tirelessly for youth. Katherine’s Place will be a 39 unit building for people between 19 and 26.

BC Housing is partnering with A Way Home Kamloops and a local developer to construct the new homes. “It’s so important that young people have a safe and secure place to call home,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

When complete, Katherine’s Place will be staffed around the clock. It will provide residents with meals, counselling and life-skills training, along with employment and education support.

“A Way Home Kamloops is proud to carry on Katherine’s legacy and excited to see such a key piece of her vision coming to fruition,” said Tangie Genshorek, executive director, A Way Home Kamloops.

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McParland passed away in 2020 after dedicating her life and career to advocating for youth housing services. Katherine’s Place is meant to recognize her positive effect on local youth, while continuing her legacy by providing services to young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

“Katherine will forever live on in this building and so will her legacy, and so will the wrap-around continuum of supports that will be provided to the youth. Katherine was so excited because we would finally be able to have a space to have social workers and counselors and nurses directly on site to support the youth and met them where they are at,” said Dayna Chapman, A Way Home Kamloops.

Located at 560 Tranquille Road, the building will include commercial space, including an office to be used by A Way Home Kamloops.

B.C. Housing will be supporting the project with funding. It’s expected that the facility will open in late 2023.

“These 39 units are so needed in Kamloops where of the 600 affordable and supportive housing units in the city, only about 3 per cent are for youth in this age group,” said Tyler Baker, Director of Regional Development for B.C. Housing.

“When youth have a safe place to call home, rest their head at night, relax, this is when youth are able to relinquish their fight or flight responses and this is when youth are able to starting looking at their life and redefining and discovering their true life’s purpose and the direction that they want their life to go in,” added Chapman.