Muncey Place was the very last of the decampment hotels to come online this past summer following the evacuation order for the homeless encampments at Topaz Park and along Pandora Avenue in Victoria. Once the building was purchased outright by BC Housing, the clock started ticking. Vancouver Island maintenance staff immediately rushed to get the facility ready, working to make the place safe and accessible for the encampment tenants. Keys were picked up on Saturday and by Monday we were already moving people in. This was a huge project totalling more than150 units that needed to reopen in an unbelievably short timeframe. Our non-profit providers were already stretched way too thin to ask any one of them to take on this project alone. A new model needed to be found. The team approached two different non-profits and proposed they join together, with the support of BC Housing, to get this building staffed and put the necessary supports in place. Muncey Place now has two operators: one operating what was previously the hotel tower, while a second provider took over the three-floor low rise. There is a BC Housing building manager on site and additional BCH staff to support the overall operation of the buildings. Some of the hotels’ former maintenance, cleaning, and food services staff remained on to join BC Housing full-time which has helped to launch our first ever Food Services team. With the success of this new service, the goal is to expand it for even more tenants. Vancouver Island Opening Muncey Place (Previously Comfort Inn)
Coming from the tourism industry, I wasn’t used to working the with tenants that BCH does. I was nervous at first but quickly learned that they are just trying to live, and that we are all in this together. I’ve gotten to know the faces and gotten to know some of the tenants and have made connections with this group. I’ve found I really like what BC Housing does to help out the community.
Nick Sinclair - Maintenance Worker
Operation’s 2021 – a year in review
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