ADDICTS FEELING AT HOME AT SAFE INJECTION SITE

Addicts using Vancouver's supervised drug injection site will have
access to transitional housing starting next month as they wait to
enter addiction treatment programs and find a permanent home.

Called Onsite, the housing is located in the upper two floors of the
three-storey supervised injection site at 137 East Hastings St. and
will be operated jointly by Vancouver Coastal Health and the PHS
Community Services Society.

The two floors have been renovated to provide 30 beds of temporary
supervised housing and will be staffed around the clock. Residents
will be provided with meals, laundry, counselling, nursing care, detox
support and assistance finding permanent housing.

Drug use will not be permitted in the rooms.

The renovations cost $2 million and were paid for by the Vancouver
Agreement, a partnership between the civic, provincial and federal
governments.

The space had previously been home to 18 single-resident accommodation
(SRA) units on the third floor, vacant since 2005, and a social hall
on the second floor.

Last April, city council approved converting the SRA units, which are
protected under a city bylaw to preserve low-income housing, and
waived the $5,000 per room conversion fee.

Insite opened in September 2003 and is the only legal supervised
injection site in North America. According to Insite, there are more
than 600 injections per day at the facility.