The trailers providing temporary housing at the Coordinated Care Campus will be in place until at least June of 2023 as the renovations are estimated to be completed around that timeframe. Officials with Prairie Mall wrote a letter of opposition to the temporary housing, but the motion passed at city council on Monday.
Director of Protective and Social Services Chris Manuel says there are currently 26 people using the trailers and on-site services at the Coordinated Care Campus.
“We have room for up to 28. In the meantime, we have a waitlist of about 80 people that have nowhere to go. We also have around 200 people experiencing homelessness in the city. Typically they wouldn’t be referred elsewhere or to larger cities like Edmonton, which are addressing their own homelessness issues,” he says.
Manuel feels that the process for getting another potential facility approved to accommodate those in need would be challenging.
“It’s not as simple as putting folks in a hotel. When providing these types of services at a location, would trigger a rezoning process and a development proposal process. Those are not quick. You’re looking at a minimum of six to eight weeks for that to process,” he says.
Manuel says that the timeframe is now about 12 months for the temporary housing to remain in place.
“It’s not a concern for me. I think when the application was first made there were some uncertainties and it was just a number. We hope we can complete the renovations sooner than that, ideally six months,” he says.
The former Stonebridge hotel was built in 1972. City council began mulling over the project in May of 2021 and held engagement sessions in June. The city does not expect that the completion of the work on the building will go over the $15.5 million budget.