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Victoria to book more hotel rooms for people sheltering in parks

The City will use ‘unspent’ COVID-19 response funds to book the rooms
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The B.C. government spent $18.5 million on Comfort Inn Hotel, located at 3020 Blanshard Street, to provide affordable housing to the homeless. Now, the City of Victoria has passed a motion to resume booking hotel and motel rooms for the homeless population sheltering in city parks. (Kendra Crighton/News Staff)

The City of Victoria will resume booking hotel and motel rooms people who are homeless and sheltering in city parks.

A motion passed on Thursday evening will draw on “unspent” funds from $300,000 in previously approved COVID-19 response funding.

READ ALSO: ‘Seven baths in two days’: Homeless adjusting to life in hotels

In addition to booking hotels, the City will maintain access to hygiene for people currently sheltering outdoors, including handwashing facilities and washrooms in proximity to the “authorized outdoor sheltering locations on a 24-hour basis.”

The City will also maintain the funding for shower facilities at Our Place Society.

READ ALSO: Eight people arrested on Pandora Avenue after enforcement order issued

Mayor Lisa Helps will be writing to Premier John Horgan “reiterating the City of Victoria’s request that the Government of B.C. mobilize sufficient resources to offer housing with appropriate social care and health care to all unhoused people in the Capital Region.”



kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca

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