Construction is underway on 60 new supportive homes for men recovering from addiction and at risk of homelessness in Abbotsford, the provincial government announced Wednesday (April 20).
The project is the third phase of a development operated by Kinghaven Peardonville House Society at 31250 King Rd. The six-storey, wood-frame building will provide 60 studio units, including five accessible units.
The main floor will offer a kitchen and dining room along with counselling offices.
Residents will have access to support services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including skills training and access to work placements, as well as health, mental-health and addiction services.
To date, the society has helped serve and support more than 22,000 men in need.
The development will join two other facilities at the site: the George Schmidt Centre, a second-stage transitional housing facility built in 2013, and a treatment centre for men, which has been operating for more than 50 years.
RELATED: Kinghaven Treatment Centre undergoes expansion
The province is providing a grant of approximately $16.6 million for the project through the Building BC: Supportive Housing Fund and will provide $500,000 in annual operating funding.
Construction of the project is estimated to be complete in fall 2023.
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun and Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis toured the site on Wednesday.
“Supportive housing at Kinghaven aligns with our Homelessness Action Plan and adds to the continuum of housing in our community, while also supporting the need for additional opportunities to help actively address the battle with substance use,” Braun said.
Alexis said the project is an example of how the NDP government is working in partnership “to make sure people in need have access to homes with supports to help them get back on their feet.”
Daniel Marks, executive director of Kinghaven Peardonville House Society, thanked all the community partners for their support in making the project a reality.
“The timing couldn’t be better with the continued opioid epidemic and ever-increasing affordable housing shortage. I’m excited to see the positive impact this new project will have on our community and the people that live within it,” he said.
RELATED: New Schmidt Centre opens doors
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