Sechelt's Dolphin Street project, which will combine eight units of Olympic Legacy Housing plus a clubhouse for people suffering from mental illnesses, is on track to open its doors in early October.
"It's going to be a huge relief," said Bob Smith, board chair for the Arrowhead Centre Society, which spearheaded the project and will operate the clubhouse. The Sunshine Coast Community Services Society will run the Legacy Housing.
"A lot of people have had a real struggle," Smith said, referring to Arrowhead's 50 members who have had no place to go for daytime programming and activities since funding and staffing constraints forced the society to close down its previous clubhouse location last September. Since then, the society launched a successful fundraising campaign - and now has $50,000 in the bank - as it worked through red tape to push the Dolphin Street Project forward to completion.
Smith said the project is on track to have the Legacy Housing completed by Oct. 1 and the clubhouse open Oct. 7, though he noted that delays may occur.
"There have been so many delays that I won't be surprised if we miss those dates, but it's so close that certainly we're confident [the project]'s going to happen," he said.
Smith said eight tenants have been identified as eligible for the housing units, and will shortly be completing an application process. Two more, he said, are on a waiting list.
Arrowhead has named a clubhouse co-ordinator and is in the process of selecting two floor staff. The SCCSS, he said, has selected a housing manager to oversee the housing units.
Smith said it's unclear exactly when core, ongoing funding from BC Housing will become available for running the project, but he hopes it will be "coming on stream very quickly."
Once the project's complete, there will be a grand opening, likely in November, plus a December open house for the community.
"We hope that there will be an open house in early December where we can thank all the community that made it possible and the community can see the wonderful things that have happened," he said.
