More temporary homes coming for people experiencing homelessness in Kelowna
People experiencing homelessness in Kelowna will soon have access to as many as 60 more temporary homes with supports.
This is the third 60-unit project in Kelowna created through an agreement between the Province and the city to commit to the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) programs.
“We’re working with communities across the province to increase available supports and services that bring people indoors where they can get some stability back in their life and prepare them for more permanent housing,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “This is the third 60-unit project in Kelowna and we’re already seeing great successes at the first two – providing people with support and stability to transition out of homelessness and improving the overall health and well-being of the community.”
The development at 3199 Appaloosa Rd. will have as many as 60 temporary supportive homes, each with a separate entrance. Each home will have a bed, desk, microwave oven, air conditioning and heat, and a small storage space. The site will include communal spaces for eating, lounging and laundry, as well as overdose prevention services, care professionals and other supports.
An experienced non-profit organization is being retained to operate this HEARTH location, which is expected to open in 2025.
“In a span of less than a year, the city, guided by council’s priorities, has partnered with the Province on three 60-unit temporary-housing projects with 120 units of housing operational and another 60 on the way,” said Tom Dyas, mayor of Kelowna. “We have already witnessed reported successes from the first two sites, STEP Place and Trailside Transitional Housing. With the addition of this third site, we seek to increase shelter capacity and thereby provide opportunities for those sheltering outdoors to transition into those spaces.”
All three HEARTH locations are temporary housing solutions and will be in place for at least three years.
“STEP Place has emerged as a pivotal safety-net housing response. In the first six months, STEP Place has helped residents realize goals in employment, mental health and substance use,” said Patricia Bacon, CEO, John Howard Society of Okanagan and Kootenay. “STEP Place’s model of independent small houses, combined with robust skills-based programs, has created a unique model of housing where every person has an opportunity for personal development, dignity and to participate in the community.”
The HEART and HEARTH programs are part of Belonging in BC, the Province’s plan to prevent and reduce homelessness. The plan will also add nearly 4,000 supportive housing units and 240 complex-care spaces provincewide.
Since 2017, the Province has nearly 80,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 8,800 supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness, and more than 1,700 homes in Kelowna.
Quick Facts:
- The City of Kelowna owns the project land and will lease it to the Province for a nominal fee.
- The Province and City of Kelowna signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in August 2023 that formalized their commitment to work together to better support people who are unhoused or sheltering in encampments through the HEART and HEARTH programs.
- Through the MOU, the city commits to bring forward available land and expedite land-use decisions for new shelter and supportive-housing projects.
- The HEART program brings together the provincial and local governments, Indigenous partners, health-care agencies and non-profit organizations to quickly assess the needs of people sheltering in encampments and provide rapid access to the supports and services they need to find a home.
- The HEARTH program enables the rapid development of new shelter and housing options to bring people indoors.
Learn More:
To read the MOU between the Province and City of Kelowna, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BC-MOU_Kelowna_HEART-HEARTH.pdf
For more information about the HEART and HEARTH programs, visit:
https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/HEART-HEARTH
To read the Belonging in BC plan, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BelongingStrategy.pdf