Posted on 10/20/2015 by Ron Manz 107.5 KISSFM
It's been nearly two months since the Province announced it had bought the Journey Inn in Vernon and was converting it to an affordable housing complex. Renovations being done by BC Housing are only starting to take place this week on the 39 suite facility. Ten tenants maximum will be allowed to live there during renovations according to Barb Levesque with the John Howard Society that will operate the complex. "Some of them moved out of places they couldn't afford. I think a couple of them may be new to Vernon. Most of them are from Vernon and were in places they couldn't afford and needed affordable housing." Levesque says everyone will have to qualify financially and they also must pass an interview process to find out if they are socially acceptible too. "We want people to feel that this is a real family apartment building and a home, so we are looking for those kinds of people, and its really an interview that takes place and a judgement call on the part of the manager." Renovations are expected to take up to six months to complete. "BC Housing is expecting it to take about six months but it could take longer, we really don't know. Things like plumbing and electrical, we want to make sure that we don't have to do ongoing renovations, that we only do them once and that it's done." The facility has also been renamed the Blair Apartments, after Blair Peden a retired probation officer who spent 35 years as a board member and former chair. "He's a pretty humble guy and I think at first he was a little bit reluctant to have it named after him, but I think its important and all non-profits realize how important it is to recognize the committment of these long time volunteers.
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