Close X
Thursday, October 31, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. to add 240 complex-care housing units in communities throughout the province

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Apr, 2024 10:23 AM
  • B.C. to add 240 complex-care housing units in communities throughout the province

British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.

The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions says in a statement 200 of the units will be located in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Prince George, Sechelt, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria.

The remaining 40 units will be Indigenous-led and the statement says officials are working with Indigenous groups to identify partners and "priority communities."

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside says the complex needs of people dealing with overlapping health challenges, such as brain injuries or developmental disabilities, can lead to "a cycle of evictions, stays in shelters and repeated visits to emergency rooms."

Whiteside's statement says the housing units will provide people the co-ordinated care they need in their own home.

In Kelowna, where Monday's announcement took place, the latest project will include 20 newly built complex-care units and at least 20 more supportive housing units.

The development will soon enter the design phase along with community engagement, while projects in other communities are expected to proceed in the coming months, the government says.

The City of Kelowna contributed municipal land for the project, Mayor Tom Dyas adds in the statement.

B.C. launched complex-care housing services in 2022 and supports are in place for more than 400 people.

The program is designed for people whose mental-health and addictions challenges overlap with "significant functional needs or other serious health conditions," the government says.

MORE National ARTICLES

Federal government to launch $1.5B fund to protect affordable rentals

Federal government to launch $1.5B fund to protect affordable rentals
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new $1.5-billion housing fund will help non-profit organizations acquire more rental units across Canada and make sure they remain affordable.  The new Canada Rental Protection Fund will be included in the upcoming federal budget, to be tabled on April 16. 

Federal government to launch $1.5B fund to protect affordable rentals

Surrey man convicted of child exploitation

Surrey man convicted of child exploitation
A Surrey man has been sentenced to a conditional 18-month term to be served in the community after he was convicted of child exploitation. B-C Mounties say 34-year-old Joel Andy Daigle was identified by U-S police as a member of an international online group linked to trafficking pornography.

Surrey man convicted of child exploitation

April is Sikh Heritage Month and Darpan is launching Sikhi Saturdays

April is Sikh Heritage Month and Darpan is launching Sikhi Saturdays
Happy Sikh Heritage Month!! April is Sikh Heritage Month, which is an important time to celebrate and recognize the rich cultural contributions of the Sikh community in BC.

April is Sikh Heritage Month and Darpan is launching Sikhi Saturdays

Vancouver mayor disappointed by new location for overdose prevention site

Vancouver mayor disappointed by new location for overdose prevention site
The mayor of Vancouver says the city is disappointed about the new location of an overdose prevention site in the downtown core. Ken Sim says in a news release that the city was not consulted on the relocation of Thomus Donaghy OPS to Howe Street, and the site should have been moved to the nearby St. Paul’s Hospital instead.

Vancouver mayor disappointed by new location for overdose prevention site

One person hurt in second Vancouver shooting within days

One person hurt in second Vancouver shooting within days
One person has been injured in a shooting in Vancouver's downtown core, the second such incident in the area in less than a week. Vancouver police say officers responded to reports of shots fired at around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday, and found a person with serious injuries.

One person hurt in second Vancouver shooting within days

Hit and run in Victoria

Hit and run in Victoria
Police in Victoria are looking for a suspect who drove a stolen vehicle into a residence, causing significant property damage before fleeing the scene. Police say a resident from the home reported the crash on March 25, and investigators could not find the suspect despite help from a police dog unit.  

Hit and run in Victoria