UPDATE: CMHA says that while they are hoping to be able to move people in soon, they are waiting to hear back from the city and community before they will be able to officially take over the building.
The land use is staying the same but the building use will be changing. A development permit application is underway and will come before an Infrastructure and Protective Services Committee meeting in September.
The Parkside Inn should see its first group of permanent residents soon. The Canadian Mental Health Association is hoping to have some people moved into their home at the Inn by September 1.
CMHA Executive Director Randy Arsenault says most of the units are move in ready but the organization is just waiting on approval from the owners of the Inn.
“Probably half of the units ready to be given to individuals. I am just waiting for a contract to be signed so I can legally start proceeding.”
The Inn on 100 Avenue will be able to accommodate at least 35 residents and will feature mental health and addiction workers on site 24-hours a day.
The only criteria for residents to live at the Parkside Inn is that they must have some source of income. Arsenault says those who didn’t meet that criteria have already been removed from the location.
“We have a few individuals already located at Parkside. Some of them that didn’t fit the mandate have been removed from the premises. So we’re basically starting from scratch.”
The Parkside Inn is part of CMHA’s Permanent Supportive Housing Program. The point of the project is to provide a safe place to live for people who are hard to house.
Arsenault encourages anyone looking for housing at Parkside or one of their other locations in the city to contact the YMCA.