The province has announced 20 new complex-care housing (CCH) units for people with overlapping mental health challenges and other serious conditions to be created in Sechelt.
Planning is in the early stages, said a Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions statement earlier in , and funding contributions for each project are not finalized. Coast Reporter asked for details about the budget, location or partners, but its questions were not answered by the Ministry.
The units are part of 240 such units coming forward through the province’s 2023 Homes for People plan to provide care to people with overlapping mental-health challenges, developmental disabilities, addiction issues, trauma or acquired brain injuries, said an April 17 provincial press release.
“CCH provides voluntary and person-centred health and social supports under one roof where people live and for as long as they need it,” said the press release. “Services are planned and co-ordinated by health-care partners and delivered in partnership with housing operators.”
The locations of the units will differ project to project: some are in stand-alone buildings, others may be combined with supportive housing or other affordable housing units.
The units are in addition to complex-care housing services for approximately 25 people announced for the Sunshine Coast in November 2022.
The previous two years’ budgets have seen $430 million put into complex care housing in B.C., said the ministry statement.
“People dealing with serious mental-health, addiction and housing challenges are often left behind," says Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in the release. "Their complex needs can lead to a cycle of evictions, stays in shelters and repeated visits to emergency rooms. We're supporting more complex-care housing, so more people can get the co-ordinated care they need right in their own homes, and they can live happier and healthier lives in their communities and remain connected to their support networks."
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that 25 units of housing had been provided in the first phase of the project, it was in fact complex-care housing services for approximately 25 people.
