Maple Ridge – Coast Mental Health has been selected to operate approximately 55 units of temporary modular housing on Royal Crescent in Maple Ridge.
Coast Mental Health will manage the property and all operations, and will assess potential residents to ensure they will have the right level of support available on-site. Current residents of the Anita Place camp, including many seniors, will be given priority access to services and temporary housing.
Once the Royal Crescent facility is operational, Coastal Mental Health will:
- Provide 24/7 on-site staff support to residents, including daily meal services, access to mental-health and addictions treatment and life-skills programming;
- Operate a 24/7 contact line to answer questions and address neighbourhood concerns;
- Participate in a Community Advisory Committee, including community members and representatives from the municipality, local Health Authority and BC Housing; and
- Maintain the physical property, including landscaping.
Coast Mental Health currently operates Alouette Heights, a housing and support-service facility in Maple Ridge for people at-risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
The land on Royal Crescent is provincially-owned and will help address the need for more housing and support services for people living at the Anita Place camp, as well as others in the Maple Ridge community.
Given the historic significance of the Mussallem Residence house to the community, the Province is assisting with the funding to relocate the building.
The Royal Crescent facility is anticipated to be ready for occupancy by fall 2018.
FYI:
- BC Housing issued a request for proposal to select an operator for the temporary Royal Crescent site, which closed March 23, 2018.
- In the last Metro Vancouver homeless count that looked at Ridge Meadows, which encompasses Maple Ridge, 124 homeless people were counted — an increase of 48% since 2014.
- Of the people who were identified as homeless, 60% have lived in the area for 10 years or more, 38% all their lives and 57% have been homeless for one year or more.
- Budget 2018 supports people struggling with homelessness through an additional 2,500 new homes with 24/7 support services. These homes are in addition to the 2,000 modular supportive homes government is delivering throughout B.C.
- The Province is working with local governments and community partners to develop a Homelessness Action Plan to reduce homelessness through permanent housing and services.
