Kelowna is the latest B.C. community to get housing relief from a provincial tiny homes project, but it may not be the last.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the Kelowna project could provide a template to help individuals dealing with homelessness in Interior communities beyond its biggest city.
On Thursday (Oct. 12), Kahlon announced BC Housing will create 120 housing units in Kelowna 害羞草研究所渨ithin a few months害羞草研究所� for individuals living in encampments or otherwise unhoused. These 6o-square-foot tiny homes spread across a handful of yet-to-be-finalized sites will mark Kelowna as the first Interior community to use tiny homes, but others may soon follow.
害羞草研究所淪o right now, we have tiny homes in Victoria and in Duncan and certainly, what we are looking to do here is learn from Kelowna,害羞草研究所� Kahlon said.
Conditions differ in Kelowna from those other locations, he added.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 colder in the winter, a little bit warmer in the summers害羞草研究所nd it害羞草研究所檚 going to be very important for us to see how we roll out, but also the approach that is being taken.害羞草研究所�
Different types of people require different types of housing and some individuals dealing with homelessness may be better suited for more traditional forms of supportive housing, he said.
害羞草研究所淚f it害羞草研究所檚 successful, we will look to do it (tiny homes) in more communities.害羞草研究所�
Kahlon said the 害羞草研究所渁llure害羞草研究所� of tiny home is speed while noting the province has been working with Kelowna on this issue for months.
害羞草研究所淲e can get these units on much quicker than we can traditional housing units,害羞草研究所� he added. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e just waiting for the city to just finalize where the locations will be. (So) I害羞草研究所檓 confident that we害羞草研究所檙e going to be able to get those units moving really quickly once the locations are finalized.
害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶞But this is work that has been happening for some time. This is not something that we just started weeks ago. 害羞草研究所�
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Kahlon made these comments in the presence of Kelowna Mayor Dyas. His community joins Prince George in having signed a memorandum of understanding with the province spelling out respective roles and responsibilities in protecting people sheltering outdoors and moving them indoors, while breaking up encampments.
While it is not clear how much these tiny homes will cost, the Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program will fund them. They will be a temporary solution, so BC Housing can work with Kelowna to identify new permanent supportive housing options.
害羞草研究所淭here is a critical lack of housing, which is pushing more and more people into homelessness,害羞草研究所� Kahlon said. 害羞草研究所淭he situation in encampments here and other cities is extremely concerning,害羞草研究所� he added, noting encampments are not safe for anyone. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e not safe for the people in communities, they害羞草研究所檙e not safe for small businesses nearby, and most of all, they害羞草研究所檙e not safe for the people who are living in them.害羞草研究所�
Dyas welcomed the provincial involvement, expressing hope that the public will support the project.
害羞草研究所淏ut I also know that we hear a lot of concern within our community about the cold weather coming,害羞草研究所� Dyas said, adding Kelowna is trying to build all forms of housing.
While homelessness is perhaps most visible in Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria, recent figures also show significant spikes in homelessness in large and small communities across B.C.害羞草研究所檚 many regions.
Cities have unique needs and the provincial response needs to be flexible, Kahlon added.
He also addressed the question of which other communities in B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Interior might join Kamloops as communities targeted for additional housing. (The other nine communities announced earlier this year are in Greater Victoria, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley).
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l say that we害羞草研究所檙e not picking communities that need targets by just meeting with them and randomly putting them on lists,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e using data to decide what communities need the housing the most.害羞草研究所�
The province is expected to announce the next 10 communities targeted for additional housing in the coming months.
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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