The Crossroads Inn in downtown Kamloops is one of six buildings in the province that is being renovated to make it more resilient to extreme weather.

The B.C. government said Monday that renovations to the facility at 6th and Seymour will begin this fall.

It says tenants of the building, which is operated by the ASK Wellness Society, will not be displaced while renovations are underway as most of the work will be taking place on the exterior of the building.

“The climate emergency has arrived and people living in non-profit housing are among the most vulnerable to its impacts,” Jill Atkey, the CEO, of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association said, in a statement.

“At the same time, the non-profit housing sector is one of the largest energy consumers in B.C. The six projects announced today will help us develop a path forward to ensure people are protected and our footprint is reduced.”

Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. will be the design team for the Crossroads Inn. They will be working with the other design teams for the other low- to mid-rise social housing buildings in Coquitlam, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Victoria.

The province says all of the design teams will exchange ideas on cutting carbon pollution – including technological solutions such as heat pumps, heat-recovery systems and low-carbon materials – to drive down the energy demand while also improving climate-change resiliency. They will also explore innovations in seismic upgrades and on-site solar generation.

“By working together with different agencies, organizations and orders of government, we’re supporting innovative new ways to improve housing options for everyone,” Environment Minister, George Heyman added, in the statement.

“Through CleanBC, we’re investing in better, more energy-efficient social housing that will reduce climate pollution, support new job opportunities in the clean-buildings sector and improve resiliency so we’re better prepared for a changing climate.”