Richmond city staff is recommending council extend the Alderbridge temporary modular building, a low-barrier home, for another three and a half years.
The lease on the land runs out in April, and, if approved by city council, the TMH will be in place until the end of 2027.
The 40-unit supportive housing at Alderbridge and Elmbridge ways was the first such building in Richmond, built on city-owned land and operated by RainCity Housing.
About a year ago, another TMH, Aster Place, was opened close to Costco.
Initially, there was a lot of neighbourhood opposition to the Alderbridge TMH.
“Homelessness remains a critical concern for many individuals in Richmond despite numerous successes the City of Richmond and its partners have achieved,” reads a report to city council.
The city is planning a 60-unit permanent supportive building, but this won’t be ready until late 2027.
BC Housing has requested the extension of the Alderbridge building until the new one is ready.
In April, Coun. Alexa Loo asked city staff to look into the facility, citing a list of questions about crime, drug use and recovery rates at the supportive housing building. She asked city staff to bring back a report on these issues, noting nearby hotels said they’d had to increase security 300 per cent after it opened.
But Coun. Kash Heed cautioned this report could bring out “NIMBYism” and, therefore, he also wanted to know the positive effects of the Alderbridge TMH as well.
The request for the lease extension will be dealt with at city council's Nov. 6 committee meeting.
