B.C. buys Courtenay motel for supportive housing

The Super 8 motel in Courtenay is pictured. (Google Maps)

The B.C. government has purchased a motel in Courtenay to use as supportive housing, as the province's lease on another motel in the city expires.

People currently staying at the Travelodge motel in Courtenay will be moving into the Super 8 motel next month, since the province's lease at the Travelodge is expiring on June 30.

The province first started leasing the Travelodge in spring 2020 to give homeless people in the area a place to stay and self-isolate amid the pandemic.

The province considered purchasing the Travelodge outright, but said it could not reach a deal with the building's owner, prompting the B.C. government to purchase the Super 8 instead.

The Comox Valley Transition Society, which currently operates the Travelodge, will also provide services at the Super 8 to "ensure a seamless transition for residents," said the province.

Those services include 24-hour staffing, daily meals, support services, life-skills training and health and wellness services, according to the province.

"We want to make sure that these vulnerable people are not left homeless, which is why we made substantial efforts to purchase this hotel and create a valuable housing resource for the community," said B.C. Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon in a statement Monday.

"These new homes will further add to the significant efforts underway in Courtenay and across the province to tackle the housing crisis and build the homes people need," he said.

Residents are expected to begin moving in early June.

Anyone interested in commenting on the purchase of the motel can reach out to BC Housing online, or attend an information session at the Lodge Room in the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay on June 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

• Get the CTV News App for breaking Vancouver Island news alerts