Interior Health has put the former Nelson Friendship Outreach Clubhouse up for sale.
The agency has owned the house at 818 Vernon St. since 2001 but it has not been occupied since 2023. It offered programs for people with mental illness and substance-use disorders, providing opportunities for friendship, skill development, mental-health advocacy, training and activities.
The 2,475 square foot building is listed at $699,900. The building, located on a 6,000 square foot lot next to Stepping Stones emergency shelter, is zoned for commercial use.
Asked for the reason for the sale, IH told the Nelson Star in an email that the services the Clubhouse offered have been moved to 333 Victoria St. and will eventually also be located at the under-construction Nelson Health Campus, which is expected to be open sometime this summer.
The email stated that "proceeds from the sale will be retained for future capital projects."
In 2023, the Clubhouse was at the centre of the overlapping issues of homelessness, addiction, mental health, and crime in Nelson.
An inhalation site planned for the property sparked local controversy and then was scrapped by IH. Meanwhile, congregations of people in the yard at the Clubhouse led to complaints from the neighbours about criminal activity as well as threatening behaviour on the sidewalks and in residents’ yards. IH hired a security guard to clear the property and then closed the site.
