Image: M. Vanden Bosch / PML / This land about one block west of popular restaurant Shandhar Hut on Young Road is the future site for a 49-bed supportive housing complex and 42-bed homeless shelter.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Supportive housing

Supportive housing, homeless shelter to break ground this fall west of Shandhar Hut, Young Road

Aug 19, 2022 | 8:15 AM

CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove’s philosophy of housing first and then remediating problems associated with homelessness in Chilliwack is coming to fruition starting this fall.

Chilliwack City Council approved on Tuesday (Aug. 16) the issuance of a development permit for four properties on Rowat Avenue and one property Trethewey Avenue, one block west of Shandhar Hut on Young Road, to build a supportive housing complex and homeless shelter.

“Finally, we’re there,” Mayor Popove said during Tuesday’s agenda item. “This has been something that’s been anticipated for what, a year and a half now when we started talking about this. We’re finally going to make some headway here, which is much needed. I certainly adhere to the housing-first strategy. I believe it’s the best strategy to go.”

Image: Supplied by City of Chilliwack / Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove says he absolutely supports the upcoming supportive housing project slated for Rowat Avenue and Trethewey Avenue, about one block west of Shandhar Hut.

The building will be located on vacant land at 45825, 45835, 45845, and 45855 Rowat Avenue and 45865 Trethewey Avenue. The aim is to transfer over 90 homeless people into stable housing and alleviate the corresponding effects in the community. The five properties will be consolidated into one.

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BC Housing has joined forces with the Phoenix Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Society to provide 49 supportive housing units and 42 shelter beds in a four-storey building; the building will have a common outdoor amenity area featuring a landscaped area, a sweat lodge, and rooftop deck.

“I want to thank BC Housing for their work on it, and their money,” Popove added. “The Phoenix Society will be the operator of this facility. They have a great track record. It’s a big piece of our infrastructure to help our most vulnerable folks in our city. I’m elated and I will absolutely be in favour of this.”

According to a staff report prepared by Erin Leary, manager of development planning, the development represents a “high-quality addition to the area. The design of the building and site is visually appealing and will be architecturally consistent with other new construction within the surrounding area.”

The supportive housing and shelter will be in one development with cultural spaces, meeting rooms and kitchen to boot. The supportive homes will be studio apartments containing a bathroom and kitchen. The housing complex aims to provide support like tenant support workers, life skills training, employment assistance, and referrals to community services and support groups. Residents will have access to counseling as well as health, mental health, and substance-use services through Fraser Health.

The 40-space shelter replaces the temporary Portal shelter formerly located at 46293 Yale Road.

In June 2021 an application to amend the Official Community Plan designation for these properties to a comprehensive development area and rezone the lots to an R8 category, or supportive housing, was ratified by Chilliwack City Council, allowing the proposed housing to proceed. However, assorted delays slowed the project from moving forward.

Image: M. Vanden Bosch / PML / This transitional housing unit containing 46 units, located at 45890 Trethewey Avenue in Chilliwack, is not far from where the new 49-unit supportive housing complex will be built on Rowat Avenue.

The sense of urgency was addressed by Councillor Jeff Shields at Tuesday’s meeting.

“We did our part, rushed through, got this rezoned, and we waited, we waited,” Shields said. “So, when are there shovels going in the ground?”

Leary told council there was still a process involved, but the applicant intended to start construction this fall.

“BC Housing has submitted a building permit application, which we are currently processing,” Leary clarified. “As soon as they meet building code and the updated recommendations of the design development permit, we will expedite issuance of the building permit. The applicant has indicated an intention to start construction in the fall, however they do still need to meet and have issuance of the building permit.”

Emphasizing his desire to see the project get expedited, Popove added, “So we can put this [application] on top of the pile?”