The public is invited to see the inside of what the supportive modular housing units will look like at the old Traders Inn site on Yale Road.
A community open house was held Tuesday to talk about the BC Housing and RainCity Housing project slated to house the homeless in the 46-unit development.
The Progress was given an advance tour of a sample self-contained unit currently sitting in the parking lot at the Rotary Pool next to Chilliwack senior secondary.
Each unit is equivalent to a small studio apartment with kitchen and bathroom.
At its May 1 meeting, city council gave first and second reading to the bylaw to rezone property at 45944 Yale Road from a CS2 (Tourist Commercial) Zone to an R9 (Supportive Housing and Health Contact Centre) Zone.
• READ MORE: Next steps taken for Chilliwack supportive housing project at old Traders Inn
The public hearing to give final approval is at city hall on May 15 at 7 p.m. The community open house on May 8 was a packed event as residents came to get information about the project.
The idea is to develop the long underused site of the Traders Inn for permanent modular housing with 24/7 supports.
(See below for more photos and renderings)
“Tenants will be provided meals and have access to life and employment skills training,” according to the BC Housing website describing the project. “They will get the health and wellness support services to help them overcome challenges to maintaining their housing. Fraser Health will operate an Intensive Case Management (ICM) team out of the site to assist people experiencing homelessness who have significant substance use problems, or significant challenges related to health, mental health, poverty, or education.”
Once approved and built, tenants will have to pay rent and will have access to services, once they’ve met eligibility requirements.
Criteria will focus on low-income adults who live in the community with a history of homelessness, or those at-risk of it, who need additional support services to stay housed.
The scheduled date of completion of the housing project is early 2019.
Members of the public are invited to drop by and tour the self-contained modular housing unit in the Rotary Pool parking lot on May 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m and 3 to 7 p.m.; May 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.; and May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• READ MORE: The right thing to do – New supportive housing project in Chilliwack another step in the right direction
– with a file from Jennifer Feinberg
@PeeJayAitch
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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