A number of Vancouver Island mayors are urging the province to incorporate “The Village” model of transitional housing, which was developed in the City of Duncan, as part of B.C.’s supportive-housing strategy, and for the housing model to receive continued funding from BC Housing.
The mayors of Victoria, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Campbell River and Duncan sent out a joint press release while attending the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Vancouver, which took place Sept. 16-20, stating that The Village model is being increasingly seen by a growing number of the province’s municipalities as a proven solution that offers an immediate path forward to address the worsening homelessness crisis in B.C.
“The Village model enables small numbers of our residents to create community and re-learn employment and social skills in a supportive environment that focuses on dignity, safety and responsibility,” said Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto.
“Examples around the province are working, and have stabilized and strengthened Villagers and their surrounding neighbourhood. The Village model is a successful path out of homelessness, and is worthy of our support.”
The Village, located at 610 Trunk Rd. in Duncan, is owned by BC Housing and operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society.
The Village, which was first implemented in Duncan during the COVID-19 pandemic, currently has 34 modular sleeping cabins for people in transition from homelessness, and wraparound services are provided 24 hours a day.
It was considered such a successful transitional-housing model that Duncan’s council submitted a resolution to the UCBM meeting in 2023 urging the province to implement The Village model as part of B.C.’s supportive-housing strategy, and Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Greens and Cowichan Valley MLA, also called on the province to do the same last year.
The UBCM unanimously passed the City of Duncan’s motion at that meeting.
The press release from the mayors at this year’s UBCM said The Village’s innovative approach of integrating vital support services has transformed the lives of residents while easing the impacts of social disorder on surrounding communities, first responders, and local businesses.
The mayors said The Village and other similar sites, such as Victoria's Caledonia Place (formerly Tiny Town) and Port Alberni’s Walyaqil Tiny Home Village, as well as HEARTH Village being established in Campbell River, are among the first to adopt this out-of-the-box response, proving that real change can happen quickly and efficiently.
“In 2023, BC Housing launched the Homelessness Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program, designed to provide rapid housing solutions for entrenched encampments,” the mayors said.
“While The Village has been provided temporary operating funding through the HEARTH program, this model of supportive housing must be expanded and scaled up as a long-term solution. It is more than a temporary response to encampments; it is a critical cost-effective solution to address the overwhelming homelessness crisis impacting communities across the province.”
The mayors told the province that every day that The Village model is not part of B.C.’s supportive-housing strategy means more lives are lost, more pressure is placed on healthcare systems, and more frontline workers experience burnout.
“The economic and social costs to communities continue to mount,” they said. “The evidence is clear; The Village model saves lives, restores dignity, and alleviates strain on essential services.”
Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples said the province’s mayors have seen first-hand the devastating impact of homelessness on individuals and communities.
“The Village model works; it saves lives, cuts costs, and provides pathways to stability and healing,” she said.
“Every day we delay means more lives lost and greater strain on our systems. We have the solution and the data to prove it. The province must act now to make this model a permanent part of our housing strategy."
