Temporary modular homes for Indigenous women coming to Victoria

Temporary modular homes will soon rise at a busy Victoria corner for 21 Indigenous women experiencing homelessness.

The barren area of the Evergreen Terrace housing complex, on the 800 block of Hillside Avenue, will be the site of the homes thanks to a partnership between the province, City of Victoria, Atira Housing and the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness.

"I am confident this will provide good housing for the women who will live there," Janice Abbott, CEO of Atira Women's Resource Society, told On The Island host Gregor Craigie.

"A big focus of this project will be reconciling women and children. It could be with children who could be in care, it could be adult children. We'll be working very hard to help women reconnect with their families."

Each of the 21 units will have a kitchen and bathroom. The site will include round-the-clock on-site staff support, meal service, employment skills training and other culturally specific programs.

The estimated cost of the project is $3 million. Construction is expected to begin in the fall with a March 2019 opening date in mind.

The homes are planned to be in place for five years, but if the site is redevelopedthey could be physically moved to another underused lot.

Listen to the full interview:

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Islandand Chek News