Village of 40 cabins for the homeless in Abbotsford is getting a second look.
Group behind village for the homeless in Abbotsford says city is now interested in their concept.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – A plan to house the homeless in Abbotsford in a village of cabins is being resurrected.
The village was first proposed a few years ago, but only received lukewarm response at city hall.
Jeff Gruban with the Abbotsford Dignitarian Society says the city has done an about-face, thanks to overflowing shelters and a BC Supreme Court decision which allows people to sleep in parks overnight.
“We’ve applied for a temporary-use permit which gives us the legal authority to set up those cabins. That application is before the city and they are reviewing it,” says Gruban.
He says he’s confident he can get the support of agencies such as BC Housing and Fraser Health.
He insists the idea will be embraced by the homeless themselves.
“We have three people who are currently homeless on our board of directors. We have been very close with the people we’re intending to serve. We have taken a lot of people down to our location. The people who I’ve spoken to love it.”
The location he’s referring to is about two kilometres from the city centre. The plan is to build 40 cabins plus a mess hall and shared washrooms on a two-acre lot just off the Abbotsford-Mission Highway.
Although the village would be a first in Canada, the plans are much like a village already operating in Portland.
Gruban says if the temporary-use permit is issued, a village could pop up in as little as four weeks. But he realizes that because of the city approval process, the earliest people could move in is the summertime.
Posted by Johnny Zakharia Vancouver