After a proposal to purchase the Capri Motor Inn in Smithers was shot down last year, BC Housing came up with a new plan to introduce more supportive housing.
At last night’s (Tuesday) town council meeting, Development Manager Kirsten Baillie said the first step is to have three properties be rezoned.
These are 3879, 3887, and 3895 Alfred Avenue, all behind Town Hall.
“BC Housing is requesting a rezoning and consolidation of these three lots from C1-A to CD-1. Goodacre Place is a CD-1 zone,” she said.
Currently, two of the lots are single-family houses and the third is a commercial office building.
BC Housing plans to purchase the three lots after they’re rezoned and build an up to 40-unit supportive housing building like the neighbouring Goodacre Place.
“What is different about why we need to go through the rezoning process with this example is that BC Housing has a contract of purchase and sale for these properties, but we have not closed,” said Baillie.
“We cannot purchase these properties if they do not permit permanent supportive housing on them.”
According to statistics in BC Housing’s presentation, 57 people were identified as experiencing homelessness in 2023 compared to 33 people in 2021.
They hope to have the rezoning approved in March and will work on designing the facility soon afterwards.
BC Housing hopes to begin construction next year.