Ground broke yesterday on construction of the fourth of 14 supportive housing sites.
The 129-unit, 11-storey development at 188 East 1st Avenue will see one third of the 300 square-foot suites devoted to people who suffer from addiction and mental illness.
"It was always our belief that we couldn't cut ribbons and build buildings, we actually had to identify the needs of people who are underserved and help them turn their lives around," said Housing Minister Rich Coleman.
The province will spend $21.8 million on the development plus $1 million for a pre-development grant while the city will dole out $6 million through land and development waivers.
Lookout Emergency Aid Society will operate the building with funding from Vancouver Coastal Health.
HEAT COOLED
Vancouver's HEAT shelters will close at the end of March.
"They are really a temporary fix for a period of time," said Housing Minister Rich Coleman. "What happened last year was that as the weather got warm they became more of an outdoor situation and the community was quite disturbed."
He will keep an eye on the four shelters slated to open early next month.
