Image Credit: FILE PHOTO
June 22, 2018 - 11:09 AM
KELOWNA - Not much opposition is expected to a pair of heavyweight housing strategies coming before Kelowna council next week.
Councillors will hear the final recommendations of both the Journey Home task force and its lesser-known cousin, the Heatlhy Housing Strategy on Monday, June 25.
Both are designed to address housing problems in Kelowna, outright homelessness and the connected but separate issue of "housing diversity”, a pair of reports to council suggest.
As noted by the co-chairs of the Journey Home task force, the two strategies are “mutually reinforcing” and have their roots in the 2017 housing needs assessment undertaken by the city.
The Journey Home recommendation is centered on a five-year $47-million plan that seeks to take control of street homelessness by offering basic housing and helping those in temporary or precarious housing from becoming homeless.
The Healthy Housing Strategy is aimed at the no-less serious problem of housing diversity that leaves many Kelowna residents spending more than 30 per cent of their income trying to find housing where the vacancy rate is near functional zero.
While also a five-year plan, the strategy lays out the groundwork to build long-term a “healthy housing system” with a diverse range of housing choices and prices in the rental housing market.
The strategy recommends numerous changes including increases in rental housing grants to developers, relaxing of parking requirements in some new developments and the increase of long-term property tax incentives for purpose-built rental housing.
Both the Journey Home recommendations and the Healthy Housing Strategy make note of the opportunity that currently exists for significant funding from the federal and provincial governments for housing initiatives.
Kelowna council will consider the reports at its regular meeting, 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 25 in Kelowna City Hall, 1435 Water St.
Read more stories about Journey Home task force here.
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