West Kelowna to receive provincial support for housing

West Kelowna is one of six communities in British Columbia receiving provincial funding to put together a report on community housing needs that identifies how more diverse and affordable homes can be delivered.

The Okanagan city is receiving $30,000 under the Housing Needs Report Program to analyze housing related data, including population, household income, significant economic sector and current and anticipated housing units.

The report will assist the community in understanding the current and future housing needs, while providing stakeholders, developers and other agencies access to more complete information before making housing investment decisions .

“Now more than ever, people need safe and affordable housing,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs.

“Local governments and First Nations know their communities best, and they are essential partners in addressing the housing crisis. This funding enables them to determine specifically the kind of homes people in their regions need, so they can use this information to support their planning and decision-making. Understanding the specific housing needs in communities is part of working together to continue to build and support healthy and resilient communities throughout B.C., now and into the future.”

“The lack of affordable housing and the need for additional supportive housing options are common to many B.C. communities, but the specific needs vary considerably from one place to the next,” added Brian Frenkel, president, Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

“The Housing Needs Report Program is designed to strengthen the data available to inform local decision-making to ensure that new developments, whether market-based or supportive, address the needs of communities today and tomorrow. I am very pleased to see the funding that is being delivered to these communities and its potential to bring local housing needs into greater focus.”

The report must be completed by April 2022, and then repeated every five years after.

The other five communities getting funding are Nanaimo ($50,000), Radium Hot Springs ($15,000), Strathcona Regional District ($60,000), Tumbler Ridge ($14,563) and Valemount ($15,000).

The reports, which will be formally received by local councils and boards once completed, must be considered when decisions are being made to develop new official community plans or regional growth strategies.