A 42-unit supportive housing building has been opened on Victoria Street West in downtown Kamloops with around-the-clock supports for people experiencing homelessness in the community.
Called Rosethorn House, it will be operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kamloops, with at least two staff members on-site 24/7.
Dan Hall is one of 36 people who will be moving into this building on Wednesday.
“I’ve been at the Branch for 14 months, and I’m looking forward to this place and I’m excited,” he said. “From sleeping on a mat on the floor to a bunk bed, and now we get our own personal units and its a big step up.”
Another future resident, Brett Booth says he’ll now be able to focus on moving forward in life.
“Setting some goals and actually accomplishing some goals either going back to school or furthering my career instead of having to deal with the everyday struggles that most of us face on the streets or even at The Branch where we’re not able to focus on those things, instead of just feeling like we are struck,” he said.
Built by Horizon North, each of the studio units has a private washroom and mini kitchen, while the building features a commercial kitchen, dining and lounge areas, storage and amenity space, laundry facilities, and medical examination rooms.
“We’re happy to see Kamloops residents moving into housing stability at Rosethorn House,” said Mayor Ken Christian. “This development is a welcome addition to the housing continuum in Kamloops, as we continue to look for opportunities to address housing affordability and homelessness.”
CMHA BC CEO Jonny Morris admits the building was actually supposed to open just under a year and a half ago, in the fall of 2018, but he says there were two major reasons for the hold-up.
“I think one of the delays was geotechnical assessment [due to a steep slope behind the building],” he said. “And of course there was ‘epic road construction’ out for a while. Today is a momentous day, it’s been a time coming, and that future forward look is so critical here.”
Builders had to also slightly change the design plan of the building – after the slope assessment was done – reducing the number of units from 46 to 42.
“Extreme Excavating was doing work at the front of the building and they exhibited amazing corporation with us,” noted Horizon North’s Vice President Adrian Matuk.
“We are in a very tight space working together very closely and we were effectively able to execute the project, so thank you very much to them. I think if it wasn’t for them, we would have seen some impacts on project timelines.”
The province provided $10.2 million towards this project, and they will also provide an operating subsidy of $980,000 each year.
And officials say there are now 155 supportive homes in Kamloops, including 58 units at Spero House on Tranquille Road and 55 units at Mission Flats Manor.
– with files from Colton Davies