The province has promised to build a modular housing unit for the homeless in Smithers.
Mayor Taylor Bachrach says the modular housing will come with staffing support that will help deal with a long-time housing problem in town.
“There are folks in our community that are really struggling with barriers such as mental health issues, addictions…that make it difficult for them to live in market rental housing in the community,” says Bachrach.
He says the modular housing unit will likely be located on town property on the corner of Railway Ave. and Queen St.
Council voted to purchase the property for a similar project a few years back, according to Bachrach.
He says council will make an agreement with BC Housing and says the province will be paying for the total cost of the project that he expects will be completed sometime in 2018.
The NDP plan to have a total of 2,000 modular housing units built across the province after Friday’s announcement. Sometime in 2018, they plan to have 1,000 of those operational.
“In addition to modular housing, BC Housing is working with communities to finalize plans to build 1,700 new units of affordable rental housing that were announced in the 2017 Budget Update,” according to a government release.
Their target is set at 114,000.