Construction to begin on third tiny home project for homeless people in Kelowna
Construction is set to begin for the third tiny home complex built in Kelowna to give homeless people a chance to get off the street and out of the tent city along the Okanagan Rail Trail.
The 60-unit complex is being built at 3199 Appaloosa Road in the city’s north end the province said in a media release it will open sometime in 2025. No specific date was provided.
Like the other two projects, each person will have a small home with a bed, desk, microwave, air conditioning and heat, along with a small storage space. There will also be communal spaces for eating, lounging and laundry. The residents will be provided with overdose prevention services, care professionals and other supports.
The province said all three Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing or Hearth locations in Kelowna that feature the tiny homes will be in place for at least the next three years.
"We have already witnessed reported successes from the first two sites, STEP Place and Trailside Transitional Housing,” Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas said in the release.
“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.”
The city owns the property the third supportive housing project will be built on and is leasing it to the BC government for a nominal fee. The release doesn’t say how much that is.
The province didn’t say how much the Appaloosa Road housing project will cost to build and operate.
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