New Kamloops supportive housing site comes with $30M price tag

A new North Kamloops supportive housing project is slated for move-in by 2028.

BC Housing is looking for contractors to build the 54-unit building and attached a $30.5 million price tag.

That’s according to procurement documents, issued this month, detailing BC Housing’s plans for the controversial Leigh Road supportive housing project. The proposed four-storey build will only have studio suites and be run by a non-profit once it’s open.

The cost is much higher than other supportive housing projects in recent years. Five similar projects between Kamloops, Vernon and Kelowna saw an average construction cost of $257,000 per unit. Among them, the oldest was built in 2019 and the most recent is still under construction in Vernon.

At the corner of Leigh Road and Fortune Drive, BC Housing estimates peg the cost at $565,000 per unit.

Nearly doubled, the higher bill could be because unlike many other modular supportive housing projects, this one will be a wood frame.

Area residents and city councillors voiced concern when it first came before council last fall, with critics wondering what sort of services it will include and who will live there.

None of those questions were answered and council backed down as their votes could merely be decided based on land use, not the services offered by BC Housing. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon also sent a letter to council saying it was too soon to say what services would be offered.

BC Housing procurement documents don’t list a chosen non-profit to run the facility. Early archaeological and environmental studies may hint toward the chosen operator, however, which were prepared for the non-profit Ask Wellness rather than the Crown agency.

If all goes to plan, construction should start by October 2026 and residents will move in two years later.