With Choices Transitional Home now closed in View Royal and the majority of its residents moved into the former Tally Ho Motel now being operated as supportive housing by the Victoria Cool Aid Society, the tenants are noticing a real difference.
One resident, who identifies himself as Randy, is among the nearly 40 people who transferred here from Choices.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 way more spacious and way more cleaner,B次元官网网址� he says, grabbing a coffee in the lounge/dining area that was once KittyB次元官网网址檚 Hideaway. B次元官网网址淓verythingB次元官网网址檚 newer here. Just everything is good here, the staff are here for us B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 like night and day compared to Choices in here, thatB次元官网网址檚 all I can say.B次元官网网址�
He is hopeful that his stay here will be a move toward more permanent housing, but heB次元官网网址檚 taking things a day at a time. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to find housing, everybodyB次元官网网址檚 aware of that. But for the best part IB次元官网网址檓 doing what IB次元官网网址檓 doing every day and remaining positive.B次元官网网址�
The rooms are significantly larger than the one-time youth corrections jail cells at Choices. Some have kitchenettes, others have a microwave, but all are clean with new bedding and have been freshened up since the motel closed. In terms of keeping things clean, residents are left to their own habits, but a client service worker is available to support them in adjusting to living in a larger space.
Another Choices transfer, Trevor, foresees that the facility and its services will help residents gain more stability in their lives. Personally, he calls the move a B次元官网网址渂ig step upB次元官网网址� from Choices for features like the individual washrooms, on-premise laundry facilities, the lounge area and of course, the meals.
In taking over and renovating the building, Cool Aid gutted the original bar kitchen on site and created a facility they can be proud of, says head chef and food service co-ordinator Paul Stewart.
B次元官网网址淭he feedbackB次元官网网址檚 been great,B次元官网网址� he says of resident comments. B次元官网网址淭he food quality is up there, itB次元官网网址檚 made with care and I think they taste that, so thatB次元官网网址檚 important to us as well.B次元官网网址�
The small staff cook breakfast and dinner for 50 people daily. And with a training program getting underway to teach kitchen skills to residents, itB次元官网网址檚 expected thereB次元官网网址檒l be help available in putting on the meals.
In terms of the rooms, 45 of the 52 spaces had been filled as of Tuesday, says John Sherratt, manager of supportive housing for Cool Aid.
With three people due to transfer from Mount Edwards Court on Vancouver Street, four rooms will be left. Sherratt doesnB次元官网网址檛 expect they will remain vacant for long. But itB次元官网网址檚 not as if thereB次元官网网址檚 a waiting list for the spots, he says, B次元官网网址渂ecause waiting indicates time.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲hat we look to more is B次元官网网址榥eed,B次元官网网址� and do they fit into the building,B次元官网网址� he says.
The ground floor of rooms, accessible only to those with the correct fob, is a B次元官网网址渜uiet zone.B次元官网网址� The area is designed to give people more sensitive to noise and activity a safe space, Sherratt said, and to accommodate those who are working.
Steps away but accessible to all residents is a door leading to the onetime pool and patio area. The pool has been filled in with soil and grass planted, and various plants have been placed around to create a comfortable outdoor space, albeit one looking directly onto the busy Jim Pattison Toyota dealership.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 still a few overflowing shopping carts in the parking lot, a sign that some residents may not be quite ready to give up some of the vestiges of their past life.
B次元官网网址淪omeone first and foremost has to feel secure,B次元官网网址� Sherratt explains. B次元官网网址淥nce someone feels safe and secure, they begin to give up some of the possessions.B次元官网网址�
The activities being ramped up here include a ready-to-rent program designed to teach good tenant-landlord relations, a music program and a health protocol with doctors and nurses from Cool AidB次元官网网址檚 downtown clinic stopping in regularly.
The temporary use permit granted for the site by the City of Victoria lasts just three years, although Cool Aid has begun working on plans to develop a purpose-built building on the back parking lot. But that time restriction isnB次元官网网址檛 being emphasized for tenants, Sherratt notes. More important for now, he says, is assuring them theyB次元官网网址檙e in a supported environment and helping tenants feel a part of something.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the primary goals is to build a sense of community.B次元官网网址�
