COURTENAY, BC- A major piece of infrastructure aimed at addressing adult homelessness in the Valley will be opening this week.
“The Junction” is a new adult supportive living complex, which was built at the corner of 8th Street and Menzies Avenue in west-end Courtenay.
The building is being operated by the John Howard Society of North Island. They will provide services such as: life skills, support for people who have addictions and support to find jobs, according to the organization’s Executive Director Wendy Richardson.
“It will be a mix based on individual needs.” said Richardson
There will also be staffing around the clock.
The complex has 46 units at the moment people living there are 19 and over.
“People have been applying for some time. There is a committee made up of a number of people who work with the local homeless folk,” said Richardson.
“They have been screening people for many weeks now. They use a variety of tools, but the focus is that the people need to have been homeless for at least six months.”
The complex has been built to help young people trying to find a steady place to live.
“There is a very high number of chronically homeless people in the Comox Valley who desperately need not just affordable housing but supported housing,” said Richardson.
“They will be assisted to cope with some of the challenges they have, build skills and get back on their feet.”
