The City of Kelowna and provincial government have announced an agreement that will bring 120 new supportive housing units to the city along with other measures to manage the growing encampment on the rail trail.
Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon and Mayor Tom Dyas made the announcement Thursday morning on the front lawn of city hall.
“Our position from the province has been clear, we believe encampments are not safe for the community, they are not safe for the individuals living in them,” said Kahlon.
The memorandum of understanding between the city and province will see the municipality provide land while BC Housing funds the creation of “tiny homes,” small single-room units that are quick to install.
Dyas said the city is looking at three possible yet-to-be-revealed locations for the supportive housing units. He said the 120 units would be spread across two locations, which will be announced when they are finalized.
The “tiny homes” would be just 60 square feet, installed in a cluster, around a communal washroom and kitchen building. It is hoped they will be available within a few months. They are intended to be temporary, pending more permanent supportive housing developments.
The latest estimate suggests more than 130 people call the rail trail encampment home. There are, of course, many more homeless residents in Kelowna not in that camp.
Kahlon said there are other options besides supportive housing for getting people off the streets.
“We've also found that in some cases, people just need rent supports, to be able to get into market rent,” he said, noting that there are homeless residents working full-time jobs.
“In other cases people are looking to reconnect with their communities, but they found themselves here and they can't get home — so those opportunities are available as well.”
As a part of the agreement, Kelowna is the second city in B.C. after Prince George to partner with BC Housing to create regional “Homeless Encampment Action Response Teams,” which “will rapidly respond to encampments to better support people sheltering outdoors to move inside.”
The city governments say the agreement will bring a more coordinated approach to dealing with homelessness in the community.
The memorandum of understanding between the city and province, which is not legally binding, can be read here.
