PEIPrince Edward Island’s housing corporation is buying up properties on Beach Street in Charlottetown, next to the outreach centre and overnight emergency shelter. According to information on the provincial government website, which outlines orders in council, the P.E.I. Housing Corporation Authority has entered into agreements to buy three different homes. Housing corporation has agreements to buy 3 homes on Beach StreetLaura Meader · CBC News · Posted: Oct 29, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe Community Outreach Centre sits at the end of Park Street in Charlottetown’s east end, next to the overnight emergency shelter. (Stephen Brun/CBC)Prince Edward Island’s housing corporation is buying up properties on Beach Street in Charlottetown, next to the Community Outreach Centre and overnight emergency shelter. According to information on the provincial government website, which outlines orders in council, the P.E.I. Housing Corporation Authority has entered into agreements to buy three different homes on the street. The Department of Housing, Land and Communities confirmed that the province is in the process of buying the homes. “Some property owners near the Shelter and Community Outreach Centre expressed interest in selling. Following assessment and due diligence, the P.E.I. Housing Corporation requested Executive Council authorization to enter into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with 3 properties,” the department said in an emailed statement. The statement added that the homes would become provincially owned affordable housing units and that “rent would be geared to 25 per cent of [tenants’] income.” The province could not say when the real estate deals would be finalized or when the units would become social housing. The overnight shelter was set up to provide safe housing for people who didn’t have a place to stay, and operates seven days a week between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. The outreach centre is designed to serve people dealing with mental health issues, coping with issues that accompany homelessness, and those who are struggling to get back on their feet. Neighbours still have concernsResidents of the area have spoken out at several public meetings in the past about concerns of loitering and drug use in the area around the overnight shelter and Community Outreach Centre, which sit next to each other at the bottom of Park Street in Charlottetown’s east end. On Tuesday, CBC News spoke with a couple of the neighbours. They did not want to do recorded interviews, but said they still have concerns. In March, Charlottetown council voted to reject the province’s request for an extension of a zoning change to allow both operations to continue on Park Street. The province responded by setting up a special planning zone to keep the services in the area. The housing minister at the time, Steven Myers, said offers would be made to buy homes in the area. WATCH | Premier on Charlottetown voting to shut Park Street: ‘They encouraged us… and then they killed it’:Premier on Charlottetown voting to shut Park Street: ‘They encouraged us… and then they killed it’After Charlottetown’s city council voted 8-2 against allowing provincial shelter and outreach services to stay at their Park Street location, P.E.I Housing Minister Steven Myers is vowing the services won’t be moved. And Premier Rob Lantz is not happy either. CBC’s Tony Davis reports. According to numbers posted on the government’s website, the 50-bed emergency shelter has ranged from being 67 to 99 per cent full this year, while the outreach centre helps about 200 people each month. “While there are still community concerns, the shelter provides an essential service — without it, challenges would be more widespread across the City,” the department’s statement said. “The province tries to work with clients, neighbors, and the Charlottetown Police Services to mitigate any issues.”ABOUT THE AUTHORLaura Meader is a video journalist in P.E.I. She began her journalism career working in Manitoba but eventually made it back to Prince Edward Island where she grew up. She enjoys interviewing people, doing camera work and telling all kinds of stories. In 2021 she was part of a team awarded a National Radio Television Digital News Association award for Enterprise-Video.
P.E.I. government close to buying homes near outreach centre and emergency shelter
