New model of transitional housing coming to Nanaimo, B.C.

A long-awaited navigation centre is one step closer to reality in Nanaimo, after the city awarded a three-year lease to the shelter at Monday's city council meeting after some debate. 

The goal of the centre is to provide temporary housing and food, along with health care, mental health and addiction treatment, so unhoused people can stabilize themselves and find permanent housing. 

The centre will be a modular building with 60 beds, as well as other amenities. It will be operated by the Vancouver Island Mental Health Society (VIMHS), with staff available on-site 24/7.

The city-owned site is located at 1030 Old Victoria Rd., and will be leased to B.C. Housing. 

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog called it a win for the community. 

"We are never going to solve our street disorder and these problems unless we build these kinds of facilities," said Krog. 

The centre was first announced in 2020 and was projected to open in 2021, but was subsequently delayed. A formal agreement was finally reached between the province and the city at the end of June this year.

Vancouver was also promised a 60-bed navigation centre as a part of the same 2020 announcement. An email from the City of Vancouver in February 2023 indicated that an inability to secure space for the project was delaying it, and there have been no significant updates since then on the project. 

According to the provincial government, the transitional housing model has successfully been used in cities elsewhere, such as San Francisco. 

Community backlash

Residents in the area raised concerns at the council meeting about where social housing is being built in the city.

Valentina Cardinalli lives in the area and addressed council on Monday in opposition of the low-barrier housing plan. 

She says she is concerned with the number of other social housing projects and services in the south end of the city, where the centre is set to be built, as well as a purported lack of public engagement on the project. 

"In north Nanaimo, there are 51 units run by VIMHS, at least 23 of which are low income housing," said Cardinalli. "In south Nanaimo, below Townsite Road, we would have 300 units.

"I don't have anything against these supportive places, I'm just saying everything is in one area and the result will be detrimental to all Nanaimo, property owners and their residents in these low-barrier facilities."

Krog says it's a challenge to find land of a suitable size, that is also close to other services and transit routes to create ease of access, for a project like this. 

However, he states that the project would enable 60 people to get off the streets and connect with services, which he believes will help ease public safety and street disorder.

"The alternative is to simply leave people in the streets, to their own devices, with no real prospect of improving their lives, public safety or relieving the street disorder," said Krog. 

"I think people have to step back, take a deep breath, and look at this location. And this navigation centre is a source of hope and not a place of fear."

Council also mandated a "good neighbour agreement" to be implemented as part of the lease, which is a commitment by an establishment to not detract from the surrounding residents' right to peaceful enjoyment of their homes.

The lease deal was approved in an 8-1 vote, with Coun. Sheryl Armstrong being the lone opposing vote.

The centre is projected to open in 2025. CBC News has reached out to VIMHS for this story.