Adding 31 new supportive homes in Cranbrook

Another 50 temporary homes proposed with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness

Summary

  • Cozy Bear, a renovated former hotel, opens with 31 new supportive homes
  • The Province bought the property to provide homes for older adults, including those living in the Cranbrook Travelodge temporary housing
  • Up to 50 additional temporary homes are proposed as part of the Province’s HEART and HEARTH program

 

CRANBROOK - Older adults experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness in Cranbrook now have access to 31 new homes with supports.

Another 50 new temporary homes are being proposed.

“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and the support they need to thrive,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “These new homes in Cranbrook will help people move indoors, connect to services and build greater stability in their lives. We’re working with partners across B.C. to deliver more housing options that meet people where they are and help create stronger, more caring communities.”

Renovated hotel opens

In 2024, the Province bought Cozy Bear (a hotel formerly known as Lazy Bear Lodge) at 621 Cranbrook St. N. The site required safety updates, such as installation of sprinklers and a fire alarm panel. Other renovations included adding a tenant laundry room and a common lounge area on the main floor to provide a communal space for residents.

Twenty people living at the Cranbrook Travelodge temporary supportive housing will be moving into the newly renovated Cozy Bear in July 2026. Tenant selection for the remaining homes is underway.

“These new supportive homes will help vulnerable residents access the help they need, in their community and close to services,” said Brittny Anderson, MLA for Kootenay Central. “As a society, we need to care for people who are going through very difficult circumstances, and these homes will make a meaningful difference for people in Cranbrook.”

Cozy Bear will be operated by Community Connections Society of Southeast B.C. (CCSSEBC), which also operates the Step Beyond Shelter at 209 16th Ave. and the temporary supportive housing at the Cranbrook Travelodge. The society has been providing integrated, accessible social services to individuals and families throughout the East Kootenay region since 1982.

CCSSEBC will provide a variety of services to residents to help people achieve their goals. Services include:

  • life-skills training
  • employment assistance and referral to employment counselling
  • physical and mental-health resources
  • meals
  • laundry services
  • referrals to addiction treatment and recovery services

CCSSEBC will have a minimum of two staff on-site 24/7 to support residents.

More housing with supports being proposed

In February 2026, the City of Cranbrook joined the Province’s encampment response initiatives: homeless and encampment response teams (HEART), and homeless and encampment response temporary housing solutions (HEARTH).

Since then, the Province, through BC Housing, has been working with the City of Cranbrook and is  proposing temporary housing with support services at 1525 Industrial Road 2.

The proposal includes up to 50 temporary homes, providing new opportunities for adults experiencing homelessness to move indoors to stabilize their lives. An experienced operator will be selected to run the building, which will have a minimum of three staff on-site 24/7 who will offer an array of support services to residents.

“More temporary homes with supports means more people will be able to access help through tough circumstances,” said Steve Morissette, MLA for Kootenay-Monashee. “We’re grateful to the City of Cranbrook and our partners for working together to bring these much-needed housing and supports to the community and ensure no one is left on their own.”

If approved, construction could start in winter 2026 or early 2027.

BC Housing and the city will provide an opportunity for neighbours to learn more about the proposed development and other supportive housing in Cranbrook at an open house on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Details about the open house are available online.

These homes are part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has more than 99,000 homes delivered or underway, including 205 homes in Cranbrook.

Quotes:

Wayne Price, mayor of Cranbrook –

“Housing for older adults is a piece of the housing continuum that is often overlooked or forgotten, and these supportive and temporary homes will address an essential need within our community. On behalf of Cranbrook city council, I want to express our appreciation and gratitude to BC Housing and the Province for supporting these important initiatives in Cranbrook.”

Nancy Reid, executive director, CCSSEBC –

“We are grateful to partner with BC Housing and the Province to bring this housing program for older adults to Cranbrook.  We identified this need through shelter demographics and BC Housing responded with this solution. Together, we are creating a safe community for some of our community’s most vulnerable people, to provide not only housing but a community to belong to.”

Quick Facts:

  • The Province, through BC Housing, provided approximately $4.4 million for the purchase and renovations of Cozy Bear.
  • BC Housing will also provide annual operating funding at the Cozy Bear of approximately $915,000.
    Funding details for the proposed HEARTH site will be made available later.
  • Rent at both the Cozy Bear and the proposed HEARTH site will be the shelter rate, which is currently $500 a month.

Learn More:

Contacts
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs
Media Relations
[email protected]
BC Housing
Media Relations
[email protected]