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‘Village for the Homeless’ in Abbotsford still in limbo

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – Some major money has been committed to address homelessness in Abbotsford.

The federal government recently announced $400,000 in funding, to help assign people on the streets to suitable housing.

But the folks behind a novel “village for the homeless” plan aren’t beneficiaries of any of the money.

A year and a half ago the Abbotsford Dignitarian Society developed a concept to build cabins for the homeless in a self-contained village, outside the city limits.

The society has been disappointed, though, with lukewarm reception to the idea, which it says is very practical, very affordable and based on existing models, such as one in Portland.

The society’s Jeff Gruban says getting traditional housing up and running is costly and takes time.

“Our plan was a lot quicker and a lot less expensive. We could have housed people within 60 days and help people, more or less, immediately.”

He believes the city has been throwing up unnecessary road blocks but he says his group still hopes to make a breakthrough with city reps.

“The city has a new homeless coordinator. We haven’t met her yet. Perhaps there will be renewed interest in what we have going on.”

The society has secured the lease of a nine-acre property, which is a couple of kilometres from the city centre on Valley Road. The plans call for 40 cabins, with laundries, showers and washrooms on site.

Gruban says the needed funds have been found, and it has been seeking a temporary use permit from the city. That application is now on hold as the property owners deal with another business that wants to lease another portion of the lot.

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