Moving clients to a new permanent supportive living location comes with some additional costs.
Red Deer city council approved a requested $36,212 from the outreach and supportive services initiative fund to pay for some incidentals that go along with moving clients from the Buffalo Hotel to the former Econo Lodge at the south end of downtown.
The six-block relocation will require moving computer equipment and security cameras and buying some some new furniture and supplies, as well as mattress and box spring covers.
City council approved the entire amount requested, after first raising a few questions about the purchase of an $8,400 “hot box.”
Councillors were told a hot box is a “blow-up room” that can produce high temperatures that kill bed bugs that might inadvertently be transported.
It was listed by the Canadian Mental Health Association, which runs the housing program, as a proactive necessity.
By putting all the furniture and bedding through a hot box before it is moved into the new location, the association wants to ensure there are no costly bug extermination costs later.
But almost half of the total amount that was requested is needed to pay the $12,630 charged by the movers.
Since there’s more space in the former Econo Lodge, the number of tenant spaces is being increased by nine to 48.