New Vancouver homeless modular housing project approved near Trout Lake

A new temporary modular housing project has been approved for a site near the southeast corner of Trout Lake Park in East Vancouver.

The property at 3598 Copley Street, close to SkyTrain’s Nanaimo Station, will be turned into 58 new modular homes for the homeless.

• See also:
  • Motion passed that could allow modular housing for homeless in single-family zones
  • All 600 modular homes for the homeless in Vancouver now complete
  • 1,100 affordable homes on 9 Vancouver sites announced by federal government

Similar to other modular housing projects constructed over the last two years, each new single-occupancy unit will have a floor area of 320 sq. ft., complete with a kitchenette, bathroom, living/sleeping area, and individual area.

The building will also contain an indoor amenity space with a commercial kitchen, with residents provided two meals daily. Common laundry facilities, an administration office, and meeting rooms will be built as well.

Follow community consultation, other improvements will be made to the design, including enhancements to the building’s exterior lighting, the preservation of as many trees as possible on the site, and landscape screening along the front of the building to bolster privacy.

According to a release, construction will begin in November, allowing for an opening early in 2020. Alberta-based Horizon North, which manufactured and constructed the other modular housing projects, has been contracted by BC Housing to complete this latest project.

Non-profit housing operator Community Buildings Group will manage the building and provide support services to the tenants 24/7, including life skills training, volunteer work, employment preparation, and connections to community-based programs. A 24/7 phone line will be created to allow the community to call with any building-related questions or concerns.

The provincial and federal governments are providing the funding needed to construct the project, with the provincial government also providing operational funding.

This project follows the completion of the first 600 modular homes early this year under the original modular housing program launched by the city and province in Fall 2017.

In September, city council passed a motion that will allow city staff to consider placing modular housing in areas zoned single-family and multi-family residential.