In a compassionate move to ensure the well-being of 22 vulnerable individuals, the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation has extended the lease for the Seabreeze Inn for an additional two weeks. This extension allows these residents to continue to have access to safe and secure accommodation until they can transition to new modular units at Kings Lane.
The extension, granted until July 15, 2022, was welcomed by David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing, who expressed his sincere gratitude to the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation for their generosity in providing a roof over the heads of these residents for the past six months. Eby further emphasized BC Housing’s ongoing efforts to establish a new permanent supportive housing facility at Drake Street.
Since January 2022, BC Housing has been leasing the Seabreeze Inn from the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation, with residents receiving crucial support services from the Salt Spring and Southern Gulf Islands Community Services Society (SSICS).
Originally, the lease for the Seabreeze Inn was set to expire on June 30, 2022, to allow for on-site renovations intended to create much-needed long-term housing for Gulf Island Hospital staff. However, with the extension, the temporary Seabreeze Inn residents will now continue to reside at the former hotel until July 15, at which point they will relocate to temporary accommodations that are currently under construction at 154 Kings Lane.
The Province, represented by BC Housing, has secured a lease for a portion of 154 Kings Lane from the Gulf Islands Seniors Residence Association (GISRA) to establish temporary housing. This is a crucial step in ensuring that Seabreeze Inn residents have a place to live while construction progresses at Drake Street, where permanent, purpose-built supportive housing is planned.
The temporary modular housing at 154 Kings Lane will offer individual bedrooms, air conditioning, laundry facilities, washrooms, shared common areas, and meals.
BC Housing continues its meticulous planning for the Drake Street development, which includes environmental assessments, riparian area evaluations, and water supply approvals. Once these tasks are completed, the modular unit at Kings Lane will be dismantled, the land returned to GISRA, and residents will transition to their new permanent homes at Drake Street or other suitable housing options based on their individual needs.
David Eby also took the opportunity to acknowledge the valuable role played by the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation in providing affordable housing to support community-based healthcare on Salt Spring Island, expressing his best wishes for their endeavors to enhance the health of Salt Spring Islanders.
This initiative is part of British Columbia’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the Province has funded the construction of nearly 34,000 new homes across British Columbia, including 78 homes on Salt Spring Island.
For further details about the Drake Street project, please visit the Salt Spring Island – Supportive Housing section on Let’s Talk Housing BC.
To access a map displaying the locations of all provincially-funded housing projects in British Columbia, you can visit the online resource provided by BC Housing.
For more information about the steps being taken by the Province to address the housing crisis and provide affordable housing solutions for British Columbians, please visit the Working for You BC website.