Starting in early September, a safe-injection center in Vancouver will offer intravenous drug addicts who go to the site for clean needles access to detox beds as well as short-term housing facilities.

The center, called Insite, has built an addition (called Onsite) on its second and third floors. The second floor features 12 detox rooms, each with its own bathroom to allow recovering addicts privacy as they go through the process of withdrawing from drugs. The third floor contains 18 housing units for homeless persons in need of a stable temporary housing option.

Intertwining the safe-injection center and the detox facility will offer drug addicts who are ready to go through detox a place to receive treatment and support from a staff with whom they already feel comfortable.