Kelowna– 3199 Appaloosa Road
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BC Housing will be building up to 60 temporary homes at 3199 Appaloosa Road in Kelowna. This project is a response to the urgent and ongoing need to provide housing for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Kelowna.
This project funded through the Province’s Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) program. The City of Kelowna has provided the land for this project. It is anchored by a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Province and the City of Kelowna.
BC Housing and the City have already successfully opened two other HEARTH-funded projects in the past year. The first project was STEP Place, followed by Trailside Transitional Housing. This completes our shared commitment with the City of Kelowna to build and open three housing projects of temporary housing in Kelowna.
We expect site work and construction to begin in 2024. We will continue to share details about this project as they are available. We currently expect this housing to open in 2025.
About the project
The development will include up to 60 single-room units (tiny homes), each with their own entrance. There will be shared gathering and dining spaces as well as kitchen, shower, washroom, and laundry facilities and storage space.
The site will be designed to minimize impact on neighbours. There will also be security features for the benefit of the shelter guests and the surrounding community. These include:
- fully fenced perimeter
- gated access
- security cameras
- lighting
Operator and residents
BC Housing will select an experienced non-profit operator to manage the housing and provide services to the residents. These could include:
- On-site 24/7 staff support
- Daily meals
- Health care referrals, wellness checks
- Overdose prevention services
- Outreach, life skills training, employment assistance
- Connection and referral to community services and support groups
- Transportation support to access offsite services
BC Housing and the non-profit operator will assess potential residents and offer the housing to people based on their individual needs and supports available. This process will help ensure residents are set up for success and more likely to remain housed.
Community engagement
BC Housing’s goal continues to be safe, affordable and quality housing. While this effort alone is not enough to solve the complex and urgent problem the community is facing, it is an important and meaningful step that will help many people on their housing journey.
A caring community can also contribute greatly to the success and well-being of temporary housing residents. BC Housing, the City of Kelowna and the operator (once selected) will work with neighbours to share about the project and establish processes to keep lines of communication open and address any questions and concerns quickly and collaboratively.
On August 27, we shared a letter to site neighbours and nearby businesses to introduce this project. We also shared about upcoming facilitated neighbour information sessions that we plan to host in the coming year. At these sessions, we will answer questions, share information around the changing landscape of homelessness in our community, and discuss how to successfully integrate the temporary housing into the neighbourhood.
If you would like to attend a session, please email communityrelations@bchousing.org and we will contact you when we schedule the sessions.
For ongoing updates on City of Kelowna Housing and Social Development projects please visit kelowna.ca/subscribe.
For questions about the project, please contact BC Housing by emailing communityrelations@bchousing.org.
