BC Housing has purchased the .975 acre lot at 610 Trunk Road and a temporary cabin site is proposed for this location. Here is a link to a Cowichan Valley Citizen report published on 23 November 2021.
According to the Cowichan Valley Citizen, “Another 40 sleeping cabins for the homeless are proposed to be placed at a temporary site at 610 Trunk St. (sic) in the new year.
The Cowichan Housing Association, on behalf of the Cowichan COVID-19 Task Force for Vulnerable Population, has applied to the City of Duncan for a temporary-use permit for the site, which is owned by BC Housing, to provide a 24-hour housing and support service for up to 40 people in the small cabins from Jan. 15, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022.
The proposed project, which would be called “It Takes a Village: Housing the Unsheltered Population of the Cowichan Valley”, would be operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society, which also runs the newly opened Health and Wellness Centre on York Road…..
Funding for the new temporary housing project comes from a $2.5-million grant from the Safe Restart: Strengthening Communities’ Services funding program, a joint federal/provincial initiative.
Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples said the city is thankful that North Cowichan submitted the proposal for funding on behalf of the region and that the application was successful.
She said the next step is securing a suitable location for the village….”
Here are some photos of the site at 610 Trunk Road:
We note that the lot at 610 Trunk Road is in a residential district and is directly across the street from Sunridge Place, a seniors facility at 361 Bundock Avenue, and several apartment buildings which cater to seniors. It is also directly next door to 554 Trunk Road, which is the offices of the Cowichan Valley Youth Services Society.
Here is a map showing the location of 610 Trunk Road:
Here is a Google Street View image of 610 Trunk Road:
We will post more in future as this situation unfolds.
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