A new five-storey building on Balmoral Road will house 56 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness with the support of the Victoria Cool Aid Society, which has been providing housing and support in Greater Victoria since 1968.
The building, called The Lily, has 56 studio apartments as well as a commercial kitchen, an amenity room and offices for staff.
“Having a safe place to lay your head at night is something everyone deserves, and we know that when people have stable housing with supports they can start to rebuild their lives and enjoy contributing to the community,” said Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon in a news release. “Through this project, our government has now delivered on its 2021 promise to build nearly 300 new units of supportive housing in Greater Victoria, with even more housing projects to come.”
The Lily is part of a plan announced in 2021 to develop six supportive housing site in the Capital Regional District (CRD) to help address homelessness, and the projects have since delivered 286 permanent supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness according to the release.
“We are very excited to have partnered with BC Housing to offer 56 brand new units of supportive housing at one of Cool Aid’s original sites,” said Elin Bjarnason, CEO of the Cool Aid Society, in the release. “The building at 953 Balmoral is beautiful – both inside and out – and we know that people will be thrilled to call it home.”
The project is part of a $19 billion housing investment by the provincial government which includes over 3,000 homes in Victoria that have been built or are underway.
