City joins bid for 3 Traveller's Inns

there will be room at the inns for hundreds of Victoria residents needing affordable small-family and supported housing, should the city's bid to buy three low-budget hotels be successful.

The city joined with the Capital Regional District, B.C. Housing and the Greater Victoria Coalition to end Homelessness on the bids presented to the court-appointed receivers Friday. The city and partners hope to buy the Traveller's Inn properties, which contain a total of 133 units, at 723 Field St., 710/712 Queens Ave. and 120 Gorge Rd.

"We're excited -- it's a really unique situation, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Mayor Dean Fortin of the possible acquisition.

The amount of the city's bid has not been made public and a date has not been set for the court's decision.

If successful, the city-owned housing likely will be operated through a non-profit organization in partnership with B.C. Housing, Fortin said yesterday.

The city began looking at options for low-cost housing immediately after the Traveller's Inn went into receivership, Fortin said: "We've been working on this for six months."

The hotel chain has long housed low-income people over the winter months, charging weekly or monthly rates. Close to half of the rooms of the three Traveller's Inns are already let to those needing low-cost housing, Fortin said.

"Any step toward affordable is great, and we are really glad when something happens because we're used to bad news," said Tamara Herman of the Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group based at the University of Victoria.

Initiatives like this are a good start but they aren't enough, she said.

The city and its partners couldn't afford to wait, Fortin said.

"It's important to be moving now because it allows us to preserve that aspect of affordable housing stock," he said.

"This is an opportunity to convert a significant number of units into long-term, permanent housing."

Room rates would align with residential allowances accorded those on government assistance. "Those rates would service the mortgage, operational costs and provide for on-site support," Fortin said.

Some renovations will be required. It's hoped funds will be available through the Capital Regional District and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.