The Wachiay Friendship Centre in Courtenay has partnered up with the M'akola Group of Societies in proposing to plan, develop and manage some form of homeless shelter, or affordable housing project, in the Comox Valley.

"Specifically, this could be a new homeless shelter, or other types of housing, such as supportive housing or transitional housing," explained Roger Kiishi at the Friendship Centre.

Kiishi says the centre sent a letter to the Comox Valley Regional District back in late February with their plans to use the controversial Cliffe Avenue site for a homeless facility. The RD responded in March making no commitments, stating at the time the CVRD was awaiting the outcome of the City of Courtenay process requesting expressions of interest on the Cliffe Avenue property.

Kiishi says getting all the major stakeholders in the Comox Valley on the same page for a homeless shelter could be an impossible goal.

"BC Housing wants one voice on this issue, but that may be something that is not achievable and it may not be realistic. What we would like to really see is building consensus within the community of how we address the issue. Consensus is not the same as one voice, because consensus can mean that we have differences."

The City of Courtenay has pretty much pulled the plug on the Cliffe Avenue site for a homeless shelter, after the business community raised serious concerns about the project at that location in the downtown area.

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