Summerland council rejects idea to convert SADI building to transitional housing

Photo: Contributed

The District of Summerland has voted to shoot down a grant application for transitional housing at the former SADI building after much discussion in their meeting Monday afternoon.

In an effort to help with unsheltered homeless populations in the community, staff recommended applying for the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) “Strengthening Communities’ Services Program,” which would provide temporary resources to local governments.

“The need for housing for the homeless is exasperated compared to previous years,” said Brad Dollevoet, director of development services for the district.

Dollevoet outlined plans from the Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre (SFBRC) to update and run the former youth centre, located at 9117 Prairie Valley Road, as well as staff’s investigation into the application.

“The idea from the food bank is that this would be only a flexible temporary arrangement, not long term housing solutions,” he explained.

Estimates for renovations and upgrading the SADI building would be roughly around $510,000 to allow for occupancy, not including other costs from a fully invasive inspection and constructing habitable rooms, or upgrading the kitchen or bathroom facilities.

District staff would need to complete an invasive inspection before finalizing the costs.

Dollevoet added that staff see the value of using this grant application and that it would meet a clear community need. But the short timeline for the application to be submitted restricts the ability to gather all the information.

Numerous questions from council showcased the uncertainty with using the former youth centre for the application and the lack of time to discuss it.

The grant application would need to be completed by Friday.

Coun. Marty Van Alphen said that the decision to apply for a grant feels like a major one without even knowing if the costly renovation would be possible or worth it.

“I'm not against transitional housing but I definitely don’t like to have this short timeline,”

Mayor Toni Boot pointed out the council isn't making a decision now on whether or not the transitional housing would be there.

“This might not ever happen, it's just a possibility to apply for this funding,” Boot said, explaining Dollevoet's point that the building may not get approved for the funding anyway because the renovation cost could be too great.

Council also pointed out that they haven't been able to hear the community's input on this either.

However, if funding was received and the building was chosen, it would need to be rezoned or a temporary use permit would be needed, which includes public hearings.

Most councillors felt like it was a bigger decision than just applying for a grant now.

Coun. Erin Carlson suggested looking into using ATCO trailers in the future for temporary transitional housing solutions, adding it’s not uncommon to find them on farmland in the Okanagan.

For now, council decided to drop the application and look into other options to help support the homeless community. The SADI building will be left where it was before, slated for demolition.