The City of Campbell River is expanding temporary supportive housing as part of a broader provincial effort to respond to homelessness and encampments across B.C.

The Province announced that Campbell River will add eight new temporary supportive housing units at the Homewood site, bringing the total capacity there to 48 spaces. The expansion is part of B.C.’s HEART and HEARTH encampment response programs, which focus on moving people indoors and connecting them with supports.

Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle says bringing people inside is key to creating safer communities, adding that “communities are stronger and safer for everyone when we bring people indoors to safe housing, so they have better opportunities to connect to the supports and services they need to bring stability to their lives.”

Mayor Kermit Dahl says the Homewood expansion shows what can be accomplished through partnerships and targeted investment. He says the additional units mean more Campbell River residents will have access to shelter, meals and supports, calling every new unit “significant” and an important step toward a healthier and safer community.

Campbell River was part of the first phase of the Province’s HEARTH program and is now expanding capacity, while several other B.C. communities are joining the initiative for the first time.

The Province says the HEART and HEARTH programs are part of its broader plan to reduce homelessness and move people out of encampments and into safer, more stable housing.