Breaking ground on Braidwood, housing and shelter project set to open 2028 in Courtenay
Site preparation has started at 925 and 933 Braidwood Road. (Jeannie Lin / CHLY 101.7 FM)
Construction is officially underway on a new supportive housing project at Braidwood Road in Courtenay. Led by BC Housing, the project will provide long-term supportive housing and emergency shelter for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Comox Valley.
Jennifer Fox, the BC Housing regional director for Vancouver Island, explained how the location for the initiative was chosen.
“ The site was selected in collaboration with the City of Courtenay, and it is consistent with the city's official community plan. And we're fortunate in that it can accommodate both supportive housing and a purpose-built shelter in one location. And so from there, it's creating a coordinated response to homelessness in the community, and there's also opportunity to access services, transit, and community amenities, which is important for folks as well,” said Fox.
The development will include 70 studio units with bathrooms and kitchenettes for long-term supportive housing at 925 Braidwood Road. A separate building at the nearby 933 Braidwood Road will provide an emergency shelter with 73 beds, as well as space to accommodate 30 additional beds during extreme weather events.
“They're two buildings on one lot. And so the 70 supportive housing units along with the 73 free shelter spaces, were informed by ongoing assessments of the housing and homelessness needs in Comox. So that's related to the 2025 point in time count. And so that's how we landed on that number. And so for the supportive housing building, there will be stable housing with the 24/7 supports, while the shelter provides immediate indoor accommodation for people who don't have a permanent place to stay,” said Fox.
The supportive housing units are intended for adults aged 19 or older experiencing homelessness. Residents will have access to on-site support such as life skills and employment training, health supports and connections to community services.
“So the selection of residents who move into the supportive housing is through BC Housing's Coordinated Access and Assessment process. And so what that means is there's a group of partners that come together. That's BC Housing, Island Health, housing providers, and community partners. And from there are matching housing opportunities with people who have the greatest needs. And so the resident selection process will prioritize people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Comox Valley,” said Fox.
Lookout Housing and Health Society will operate the supportive housing units, while Connective will manage the emergency shelter. Three staff from Connective will be on-site 24/7.
“So with Connective selected to operate the shelter with Lookout, for the supportive housing, the relationship between BC Housing and our partners is guided under an operator agreement. But in terms of the day-to-day responsibility for operations, staffing, and support, that would be up to Connective and Lookout, and we would absolutely be coming in to facilitate and support a collaborative relationship amongst the three partners,” said Fox.
Geoff Garbutt is the city manager for the City of Courtenay. He said that this project is innovative for the Comox Valley.
“It would be our first purpose-built and designed facility to help people. And so for our community, it is new, and it is innovative. We've never had this kind of facility that's purpose-built and designed from scratch, because buildings have been always renovated or been repurposed. And that's not an ideal situation. And so we're really excited that the process to design this and build it will incorporate the best practice that they've learned in other areas around the province,” said Garbutt.
Garbutt said the city is not expecting major issues and that once the facility opens, operators will be expected to respond to neighbourhood concerns.
“ So we don't anticipate any significant issues, but if there is, we have standards that they need to follow, pursuant to our nuisance bylaws and the like. Going forward, once the facility's open, it's our expectation that it'll be operated in the same way as our other supportive housing facilities where they do work, and respond to neighborhood concerns. And the operating conditions for the operators require that there's engagement, outreach, community cleanups, and the like,” said Garbutt.
The supportive housing is expected to open in early 2028, followed by the shelter in spring 2028. Provincial officials say the project is part of a broader effort to reduce homelessness in the region by providing access to safe housing, emergency shelter and support services for people in need.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.
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