VICTORIA — The B.C. government will be evicting homeless campers behind the courthouse in Victoria and offering them temporary shelter and rental housing.
The province says notices will be delivered today advising campers to vacate the courthouse property by Feb. 25.
A news release from the Housing Ministry says 88 housing units will be provided and that 50 of them will be available for about six months at a former youth custody centre outside the city.
Residents will be given three meals a day and have the option to camp in the courtyard of the former jail, which the province says can accommodate at least 20 tents.
The ministry says 38 rental spaces will be also available for about a year at a cost of $375 a month at a building the province has bought for $3.65 million.
The government has said there were safety concerns with the courthouse site where about 100 people have set up tents.