The former Central Care Home in downtown Victoria will start welcoming tent city residents on Wednesday, after previously saying it would open its doors on Monday.
Construction and service crews at the supportive housing facility on Johnson Street are preparing 140 units for campers living on the courthouse lawn.
They were expected to move-in on Monday, but the province later confirmed that the transition wouldn’t happen until mid-week.
“Most of the moving will start taking place Wednesday of this week and go through to about the 8th of August,” said Rich Coleman, housing minister.
The group supporting campers wasn’t surprised by the delay.
“There’s an amazing amount of work and thought that needs to go into how that whole process is going to work, so I’m not surprised that a couple extra days are necessary,” Stephen Portman of the Together Against Poverty Society noted.
However, campers said they’re hesitant to take the province at its word.
“I think everyone’s taken the wait and see and are not trusting when the government says they’re going to have something done,” tent city resident, Christine Brett told CTV News.
