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Homeward Trust Edmonton has officially taken over as operator of Dwayne’s Home.

“It is a very recent development,” Homeward Trust CEO Susan McGee said on Friday. “We are just stepping in this week.”

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Questions about the fate of the downtown housing facility for homeless Edmontonians have been circulating for months ever since the property was put up for sale back in June.

Formerly a backpackers’ hostel, the four-storey building at 102 Street and 100 Avenue has operated as a housing facility since 2013.

McGee said her main concern is ensuring residents at Dwayne’s Home are taken care of. She said over the course of a few weeks Homeward Trust will be inspecting the building and working with existing staff to transition residents out of the facility.

McGee stressed that everything will remain status quo at Dwayne’s Home as they figure out a plan.

“Our concerns are to make sure there’s a plan to ensure the people who live there are provided support and finding other options regardless of what the future of the property is,” she said. “We’re dealing with a lot of individuals where this is all very new for them. I’ve been really stressing with all our partners and the previous operators to say let’s take our time and make sure we don’t (make it harder on) people who are already vulnerable and in a tough circumstance.”