Ottawa providing $31.5M for hundreds of new housing units in Kelowna

The federal government and the City of Kelowna have announced an agreement to fast track an additional 950 housing units over the next three years.

The deal, under the Housing Accelerator Fund, will provide over $31.5 million in federal funding to eliminate barriers to building housing faster.

“It will allow for higher density development along rapid transit corridors, make city-owned lands available for affordable housing development in partnership with non-profits, and expand the use of technology to streamline building permit applications,” Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Sean Fraser, said at a news conference.

A government news release said Kelowna has been a leader in infill housing and is committed to pre-zoning an expanded area of the city’s core area to permit infill housing as-of-right to reduce barriers to housing construction.

“These initiatives are going to significantly improve access to housing in Kelowna,” the news release stated.

Kelowna mayor Tom Dyas said the project will help create a potential for up to 20,000 additional homes over the next decade.

“Everyone deserves a place to call home, that’s why increasing diverse, attainable, and affordable housing options is one of council’s top priorities,” Dyas remarked. “We are grateful for the Government of Canada’s significant investment that will further advance Kelowna’s innovation and commitment to accelerate housing for our rapidly growing community.”

Beginning in 2016, the City of Kelowna began a progressive approach to infill housing. Through that work, over 800 parcels in specified urban areas were permitted to develop up to four residential units on one lot.