Occupants of an encampment on the south side of Highway 1 at Clearbrook Road in Abbotsford have been given until Wednesday (Oct. 18) to leave.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which owns the land, confirmed with The Abbotsford News that an eviction notice was delivered to the site on Oct. 11.
A ministry spokesperson said around 10 people are known to stay overnight at the camp, but it’s unsafe due to its proximity to the freeway.
“While encampments may offer a sense of community for some people, they are not a long-term suitable form of housing, and create significant risks for the well-being of campers and the broader community,” the spokesperson said.
He said a local outreach society, Cedar, has been visiting the camp daily “to ensure all residents are offered opportunities for shelter or other resources they might need.”
RELATED: Lonzo Road encampment in Abbotsford to be cleared out and new shelter built
The camp grew in size following the dismantling at the end of June of another camp on Lonzo Road in east Abbotsford.
B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon was in Abbotsford on June 13 to announce that the camp would be dismantled and that a new 50-bed temporary shelter would be built on the site immediately after it was vacated. Construction was expected to be complete by late fall.
However, as of Tuesday (Oct. 17), construction had not yet begun.
The ministry spokesperson said BC Housing is planning to begin site work on Lonzo Road “within the next few weeks.” He said modular housing units for the location are being prepared off site.
Once complete, the shelter is expected to remain in place for about 18 months while a permanent location is found.
Meanwhile, a new five-storey 61-unit supportive-housing building is planned on Riverside Road. The location currently has two shelters operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society.
One – a 44-unit transitional-housing facility known as the Cole Starnes building – will remain.
The other – a 40-bed temporary shelter that was established in 2015 – will be replaced by the new building.
The ministry spokesperson said, once the new shelter on Lonzo Road is operational, guests at the temporary Riverside shelter will be relocated there.
RELATED: Plans move to next stage for 61-unit supportive-housing project in Abbotsford