People who were previously living in shelters and encampments in Campbell River now have a roof over their heads and access to services they need at Homewood, a new 40-unit temporary supportive housing project.
“These homes will bring people sheltering outdoors inside where they can access the supports they need to begin stabilizing their lives,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “Our government is working hard to make communities safer by delivering real solutions to address complex challenges and respond to community concerns. Homewood will help people get on a better path and live full, healthy lives, leading to a stronger community.”
Homewood, formerly HEARTH Village, at 1299 Homewood Rd. consists of eight separate modular buildings. Five of the buildings contain eight sleeping units for a total of 40 homes. Each sleeping unit is designed for one person. Each unit has a bed, desk, space to store personal belongings and a locking door. The three other buildings on site provide shared facilities, such as washrooms, showers, laundry machines and a dining area.
People began moving into Homewood on Nov. 21. The new homes are prioritized for people who have lived in the area for at least two years and stayed in local shelters and encampments.
Homewood is operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society, with staff on site 24/7. Residents will receive daily meals, access to skills training, case planning for required services, and health and community support referrals.
Safety features at Homewood for residents and the community include an experienced operator, regular sweeps of the property to maintain cleanliness and a requirement for residents to abide by a program agreement that addresses expectations about appropriate and respectful behaviour.
This is the first project in Campbell River created through the Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program. Homewood was the subject of community consultation in March and September 2024.
Homewood is a temporary housing solution and will be in place for a minimum of three years. The province, through BC Housing, continues to work with the City of Campbell River to identify and build new permanent supportive housing.
This project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the province has more than 90,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 400 homes in Campbell River.
