A standard one-person unit.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Slated to open in the new year, Vernon will soon have another 52 units of supportive housing.

Funded by B.C. Housing to the tune of $14.6 million, The Crossings at 35th will house people currently living in shelters or motel rooms, as well as those who are sleeping rough.

The building features a multitude of single self-contained units, along with several one-bedroom apartment-style units for couples and eight units for people with mobility issues. Each unit contains a kitchen and bathroom and residents are allowed one pet. The single occupancy units are roughly 330 square feet.

The building also has around-the-clock staff to help residents as they transition to life with a permanent roof over their heads and a door they can lock.

Residents will pay $375 rent a month, which also includes two meals a day.

The Crossings at 35th

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Turning Points Collaborative Society has been given the job to run the supportive housing unit which will cost $1.2-million a year.

While the extra units will put roofs over peoples' heads, Turning Points Collaborative Society executive director Randene Wejr said the city still needs a lot more housing.

"Unfortunately, the growing need is outpacing how fast we're building," Wejr told iNFOnews.ca.

Wejr said the supportive housing building will make a difference to the city's homeless population and create a domino effect, moving people from the shelter into the unit will free up shelter beds for those sleeping rough.

"But again... our senior's population that is homeless is growing fast and so is the homeless populations of families, so it will make a difference but we need to be building more," she said.

Wejr estimated that around 200 more units are needed in Vernon to house people, from those receiving rent subsidies because they can't forward where they live, to families living in motels and the roughly 50 to 70 people that sleep rough each night.

All rooms come with their own kitchen.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

NDP MLA Harwinder Sandhu defended her government's record on housing but said that more units still need to be built.

"This is just the beginning we have more to do," Sandhu said. "We as the NDP government were committed to delivering 114,000 housing units over 10 years and we're staying on that promise we are going to continue the work and build on the progress we made."

Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming said the supportive housing units would be a huge step up for those currently living in the shelter.

"This provides physical and... also solid dignity and that's really important for integrating people back into the community," he said.

The supportive housing complex has staff on-site 24/7.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Vernon currently has 80 shelter beds which is six fewer than last year. Turning Points is also not running a temporary mat program which proved eight mats.

Wejr said the not-for-profit organization has taken a different approach this winter and is instead housing people in different locations and motels.

"We've got more people housed this year than we did last year, but while it's growing, it's still outpacing," she said.

It's estimated that Vernon has 50 to 70 sleeping rough this winter.

Residents have free laundry available.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

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