The Campbell River Head Injury Support Society is in the market to build a new house – but it needs some help from the city.
Shelley Howard, executive director of the society, is asking the city to donate a piece of land to the non-profit so the society can build and then raffle off a home.
“We are hoping that the city will be in the position to offer us a piece of property on the water side or even with an ocean view so that we can build a house and raffle it off,” Howard said in a letter to council.
Proceeds from the raffle would go towards building a new 24-unit apartment building on the piece of land next door to the Head Injury Society building on the corner of Dogwood and 9th Avenue.
Howard said the current facility, which includes suites for residents who have suffered brain injuries, is at capacity, and there’s a need for more space.
“Our apartments have been full from day one and...we have a wait list,” she said. “Over the past year we have received numerous calls from the hospital about patients who are brain injured and living in the hospital because there are no other safe affordable options to release them to. In some cases the costs are upwards of $1,100 or more per day plus they are taking up valuable surgery or medical bed space.”
Howard said the families of brain injury patients also need a place they can go for support, as do the people on the society’s wait list.