In their second hotel acquisition in the provincial capital, the B.C. government has purchased downtown Victoria property Paul’s Motor Inn for the purpose of housing unsheltered people in the city.
A statement released on Tuesday confirms that the property located at 1900 Douglas Street was purchased for approximately $15 million.
The City of Victoria was already leasing 35 rooms at Paul’s Motor Inn since April to provide housing units for the city’s homeless population.
With this acquisition, the province can now use all 75 rooms for this purpose.
See also: Province buys Comfort Inn Hotel in Victoria to house homeless from Topaz, Pandora camps
“The purchase of this site will help support vulnerable people in the community and provide a safe place for those who don’t have a home,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in a statement.
“Not only will this building deliver immediate relief and support to vulnerable people affected by the COVID-19 crisis, the site also offers permanent housing potential to help tackle the housing crisis and meet the needs of people in Victoria.”
Like other hotels and temporary shelter sites created during the pandemic, this building will be staffed 24/7 and the people living there will receive wraparound supports including meals and a cleaning service.
In mid-May, the provincial government purchased the Comfort Inn Hotel at 3020 Blanshard Street for $18.5 million. That site provides 65 housing units and, since then, has been the source of two fires which were fortunately contained and extinguished quickly.
The long term plan for both the Comfort Inn Hotel and Paul’s Motor Inn is to convert them into affordable housing sites, if that is determined as a viable option after engagement with the community.
Between April 25 and May 20, 344 people living in makeshift encampments at Topaz Park and along Pandora Ave have been moved into temporary shelters.
