Over $20M spent to support the unhoused in Kelowna last year

Just over two per cent of the City of Kelowna’s annual budget was spent on supporting people on the streets in 2023.

A report to Kelowna City Council stated a total of just over $20-million dollars was spent last year on programs and services for the unhoused.

That total includes $9,749,000 on shelter; $4,543,000 on community safety; $1,554,000 on services; $1,508,000 on emergency response; $1,328,000 on salaries for those involved with the programs; $1,295,000 on security; and $463,000 on cleaning.

The report noted, of that $20,440,000 total, $10-million was funded through taxation. Roughly $5-million was funded through reserves, with just over $2-million coming from grants, and the remainder covered through what was deemed “other” sources.

The tax money is used for each of the support categories, with community safety receiving the largest share at $4,543,000, followed by emergency response with $1,495,000 and salaries with $1,323,000.

Programs that specifically support people who are unhoused receive the largest share of the total funds with nearly $12-million, with just over $5-million going to support the vulnerable populations, over $3-million funding programs that provide service for everyone, and about $200,000 going to addressing crime.

It was noted that there were other considerations in addressing homelessness such as public safety concerns, economic impacts from vandalism and crime, physical and mental health risks for staff and the public, and costs associated with addressing maintenance and vandalism at city amenities.

Kelowna City Council received the report at the meeting Monday, August 12, which was Phase 1 of a Unsheltered Community Costs Value for Money engagement initiative. The findings of the report will be used when considering costing methodology for the future.

Upon receiving the report, Mayor Tom Dyas stated Monday that the report provides transparency for how public money was being spent on homelessness programs and services.

“I believe it is important to be direct in discussing why we are doing this and disclosing these costs,” Dyas stated.

“As a council we know that the social issues we face are not unique to Kelowna and that they are impacting every major city in the country. This report provides an overview of the direct costs and challenges associated with the unsheltered community here within Kelowna. It gives council, staff, and, more importantly, our residents, an opportunity to learn how much it is costing the city, to understand where the funding is coming from, and to provide concrete data and examples to assist in our committed advocacy efforts.

“It also highlights for our neighbouring communities how crucial it is for us to collaborate and advocate for more services in each of our cities so we can share in the costs of addressing homelessness.”

Dyas added he believed there were additional costs related to homelessness for the city, for businesses and for residents, which were not reflected in the report.

The most recent Homelessness Point in Time count indicated there were roughly 250 unsheltered people in Kelowna, and Dyas said the city remains committed to advocating for more housing and support to stop that figure from rising further, with Dyas noting the report will be used to provide context when requesting investments from upper levels of government to address issues such as housing, mental health, addiction and poverty.

The report was accepted for information Monday.