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At the Nov. 28, 2023 Regular Council Meeting, Council endorsed the West Kelowna Housing Strategy, which explores the policy tools and actions needed to address housing attainability and affordability, supply, and a diversity of types. It seeks to fill gaps in a coordinated approach involving municipal, provincial, and federal governments together with our community, housing providers and service groups. The final plan incorporates Council, stakeholder and community feedback obtained this past summer. It also provides measurables for monitoring newly created housing units.
Learn more about the West Kelowna Housing Strategy:
- Read the full report to Council
- Watch the Nov. 28, 2023 Council Meeting webcast
- Read the Housing Strategy What We Heard Report
- Read the West Kelowna Housing Strategy
Housing plays an important role in health and our community's well-being.
We want to be a place where people can call West Kelowna home and to make this possible, a variety of housing types and tenures are needed for our young city. Using the concept of a housing continuum, the City continues to strive towards different housing options for residents.
Housing Continuum
The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has developed the housing continuum to visually demonstrate the forms of housing tenure. The continuum includes a wide range of housing options available in our communities, from temporary options such as emergency shelters for people who are experiencing homelessness, to more permanent housing such as rental and home ownership. The continuum isn't intended to imply progression towards home ownership – it simply represents the full range of options that match people’s needs and preferences with appropriate forms of housing and supports (if needed).
Key initiatives are underway across the region for different aspects of the continuum. The City has completed a Housing Needs Assessment in 2022, participated in the Regional Housing Strategy (RHS), and completed a Unique Identifier Count (UIC) in 2022. The UIC provides insight at a community-level on the types of homelessness, housing instability and support needs known anecdotally throughout the community and not usually captured by a traditional Point-in-Time Count. In early 2023 the City is undertaking our first West Kelowna Housing Strategy.
The City's Role in Supporting Housing
The City supports housing through a number of actions within its regulatory abilities. While the factors that affect housing demand are largely beyond the control of local government, the City supports our community's housing needs through:
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Land use outlined in the Official Community Plan that provides the direction of how we grow
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Regulation that guides location and type of housing that can be built in the community
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Policies and programs that supports development of attainable and non-market housing options
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Collaboration with agencies, non-profit and private sector partners to deliver much-needed housing supply
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Advocacy with the provincial and federal governments on a range of housing issues
The City also continues to work with BC Housing to establish longer term transition and supportive housing in West Kelowna as part of addressing the attainable housing continuum for the Greater Westside. The goal is to partner with the Province of BC and social agencies to support and increase the opportunities for safe, attainable and accessible housing that meets our diverse community needs. We are also collaborating with Westbank First Nation and BC Housing to determine all viable land and facility opportunities to serve the Greater Westside.
West Kelowna Housing Resources
To support community members with housing service navigation, including those community members who are unhoused, here are some housing resources:
Housing Initiatives in West Kelowna
The City of West Kelowna has undertaken a number of housing studies to gather information to inform priorities for managing current housing needs across the housing spectrum and prepare for the future needs of the community.
| West Kelowna Housing Strategy |
| About the Project The City has prepared its first Housing Strategy to address local housing needs through achievable and collaborative policies and actions. Building on the recently completed Housing Needs Assessment and Unique Identifier Count, the draft Housing Strategy identifies a set of strategies and actions to improve housing throughout the community. While this Housing Strategy outlines a roadmap for City action on housing, it acknowledges that improving housing outcomes in the community requires commitment and collaboration from the entire housing sector, including provincial and federal government, non-profit housing providers, and private developers. Successful outcomes also require the ongoing support and engagement of the broader community. The Four Key Directions The key component of the Housing Strategy is the Key Directions section, which outline various actions that are intended to address the community’s housing needs related to supply and affordability, strengthen the City’s role in housing, and facilitate collaboration with other levels of government and the private and non-profit sectors. Each action is categorized based on level of impact, effort, and implementation timeframe:
Read the West Kelowna Housing Strategy Key Dates of the Project
Linking the Housing Strategy to the Official Community Plan The City of West Kelowna’s Official Community Plan (OCP) describes the City’s long-term vision and include objectives and policies to help direct growth within the community. The Housing Strategy intends to complement the direction set out in the OCP by providing high level guidance towards future policy and bylaw development to accommodate growth that meets our community’s diverse housing needs. Housing Continuum |
| West Kelowna Housing Needs Assessment |
| The Housing Needs Assessment conducted in 2022 builds on the Regional Needs Assessment completed by the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (RDCO) and to capture any unique community needs. The report is used as a guide to recommend strategies and best management practices for our West Kelowna Housing Strategy. Read the report: West Kelowna Housing Needs Assessment |
| Westside Unique Identifier Count |
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Council received a report on the outcomes of the Unique Identifier Count (UIC) on Jan. 10, 2023. This initiative builds on the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and provides a better understanding of homelessness and housing instability in the community. |
| Regional Housing Strategy |
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The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) has developed a Regional Housing Strategy (RHS) to explore tools and actions that can address housing issues, needs and gaps throughout the Central Okanagan. The strategy’s objective is to develop a regional approach to direct how to move forward to address challenges around affordability, supply, and supportive housing across the region and improve coordinated action. The RHS will focus on the regional district as a whole to identify a range of actions at the local level specific to non-market and market housing in the two electoral areas, District of Peachland, City of West Kelowna, City of Kelowna, District of Lake Country, Westbank First Nation, and Okanagan Indian Band. Read the report: Regional Housing Strategy |
Social Housing in West Kelowna
Social housing is government subsidized and these facilities are typically owned or operated by either the government or a non-profit housing partner.
Social housing serves those struggling with or at risk of homelessness, low-income seniors and families, those displaced by domestic violence, individuals with disabilities, and countless other members of our community who are in need of help to sustain a safe and secure home.
| West Kelowna Temporary Shelter |
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On the Greater Westside, there are 42 warm beds available for people experiencing homelessness. This facility, located at 2515 Bartley Court, is a partnership between BC Housing and Turning Points Collaborative Society with support from the City. The temporary modular shelter offers:
The Shelter provides a safe space for staff and shelter guests who are 19 or older who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. Learn more about BC Housing's services, programs and facilities through their online resources:
Bartley Court Temporary Shelter
West Kelowna Resources To support community members with service navigation, including those community members who are unhoused, the City has created two resource lists. |
| West Kelowna Rapid Rehousing Program |
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The Rapid Rehousing Program in West Kelowna was created as an alternative to shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. The program operates out of a hotel and provides support to up to 35 people, who are actively engaged in transitioning out of homelessness. Many of the clients in this program are experiencing homelessness for the first time, and they are working to obtain market housing or transition into a residential treatment program.
For more information or if help is needed outside of the times listed above contact: Regional Manager, Southern Interior
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| West Kelowna Women's Shelter |
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The West Kelowna Women’s Shelter was built for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. The building in West Kelowna has 10 transition house/emergency units, where women can stay for up to 30 days. These units are meant for women immediately fleeing a domestic abuse situation.
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| Seniors Housing |
Seniors Outreach & Resource Centre offers a housing directory for seniors living in the Central Okanagan looking for low-income, supportive, long-term and assisted living housing. Here is a list of seniors' housing in West Kelowna:
More Seniors' Housing Supports: |
| Background |
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2018 Westside Point-In-Time Count In July 2018, the City and Westbank First Nation coordinated with community agencies and volunteers to conduct the Westside’s first Point-in-Time Count. The 2018 Point-in-Time Count provided valuable information about the individuals experiencing or struggling with homelessness in our community. Temporary Use Permit issued for a winter shelter: On July 13, 2020 Council approved a Temporary Use Permit for a facility to temporarily house residents previously staying at the shelter at the United Church on Brown Road. The church’s sale created an urgency to find a new temporary shelter before winter. Previous Winter Shelter on Stevens Rd., West Kelowna: From January through March 2020, BC Housing provided a temporary winter shelter at 1160 Stevens Rd. to assist our most vulnerable citizens in the Greater Westside. The West Kelowna Shelter Society (WKSS), under contract from BC Housing, provided the temporary modular shelter, with safe, secure services and supports for up to 40 people, who required refuge from extreme cold temperatures through the winter months.Additional provincial resources: Learn about Homes for BC, the Provincial Government’s 30-point plan to address housing affordability for British Columbians. |
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