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Another temporary modular housing complex approved

A conceptual rendering of the complex planned for 595 and 599 West Second Ave A temporary modular housing complex adjacent to Olympic Village Line station has been approved by the City of Vancouver’s director of planning.

 A conceptual rendering of the complex planned for 595 and 599 West Second AveA conceptual rendering of the complex planned for 595 and 599 West Second Ave

A temporary modular housing complex adjacent to Olympic Village Line station has been approved by the City of Vancouver’s director of planning.

Construction on the 52-unit complex at 595 and 599 West 2nd Avenue is expected to start in the middle of April. The building will open in August.

To date, 260 units of modular housing for the homeless have been approved in five complexes throughout Vancouver. They are either open or under construction, while a 50-unit complex at Little Mountain is in the approval process.

The City plans to open a total of 600 units thanks to $66 million in funding announced by the provincial government last September.

Each new home in the latest project to be approved will be 320 square feet and contain a kitchenette, bathroom and living/sleeping area. Six units will be wheelchair accessible.

Each unit has individual heating and cooling allowing the residents autonomy in their living spaces, according to an April 9 City of Vancouver press release. The building will also include an amenity space with a commercial kitchen to encourage social interaction and provide a communal space for the residents to gather.

The building will feature common laundry facilities, an administration office and meeting rooms for staff and residents to use to provide support for the residents in what the city describes as an independent but supported lifestyle.

BC Housing picked PHS Community Services Society (PHS) as the non-profit to oversee tenanting and management of the building and to provide support services to the tenants 24/7, including life skills training, volunteer work, employment preparation and connections to community-based programs.

About 280 people attended information sessions about the temporary modular housing complex planned for 595 and 599 West 2nd Avenue. The city received 120 comments cards and about 90 emails, both in support and in opposition to the project.

City staff reached out to organizations in the community, including the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association, the False Creek Elementary school administration and Parent Advisory Committee (PAC,) and the Vancouver Police Department.

The Community Liaison for temporary modular housing conducted neighbourhood walkabouts and met with representatives from a number of businesses in the area and reached out to the local Business Improvement Association.

Feedback from the public about the project included a general concern about improvements of a pedestrian walkway in the area, a lack of sufficient lighting throughout and around the site, proximity to other social housing in the area, proximity to a future skate park, perceived negative impacts of homeless residents and the selection process for tenants, according to the city. But there was also support for the City of Vancouver helping to deliver this type of housing to address the homelessness crisis.

The approval of the complex includes a number conditions to address the concerns raised, including how the new building will successfully function within the community.

A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be established to provide a forum for information sharing and discussion between the community and the program partners.

Status of other temporary modular housing projects:

There are approximately 300 units of temporary modular housing in progress:

Approved units (260)

- 7430 & 7460 Heather Street (78 units have been built)

- 1115, 1131, 1141 Franklin Street (39 units under construction)

- 501 Powell (39 units under construction)

- 4480 (formerly 4410) Kaslo Street (52 units)

- 595 & 599 West 2nd Avenue (52 units)

Pre-development permit application (approximately 50 units)

- A parcel of land at the Little Mountain development site

Meanwhile, Chris Higgins, has launched a two-week-long fundraising campaign to raise money to create welcome packages for two of the complexes that are in the works — one at 501 Powell Street and another at 1115, 1131, 1141 Franklin St.

Higgins’ goal is to raise $3,900 to buy items for the packages, which will be distributed to the 78 residents moving into the two complexes. As of Monday, April 9, he had collected $2,923.

More information can be found here and here.

Read more from the Vancouver Courier