More temporary homes coming to support homeless people in Kelowna

People experiencing homelessness in the Central Okanagan will have more supports in the future.

The province announced 60 more temporary homes with attached supports and services would be built in Kelowna.

This will be the third temporary home project in Kelowna created through an agreement between the province and the city to commit to the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) programs.

“We’re working with communities across the province to increase available supports and services that bring people indoors where they can get some stability back in their life and prepare them for more permanent housing,” Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, said.

“This is the third 60-unit project in Kelowna and we’re already seeing great successes at the first two – providing people with support and stability to transition out of homelessness and improving the overall health and well-being of the community.”

The development, located at 3199 Appaloosa Road, will have up to 60 temporary supportive homes, each with a separate entrance. The units will be equipped with a bed, desk, microwave oven, air conditioning and heat, and a small storage space.

The property will also house communal spaces for eating, laundry, overdose prevention services, care professionals, and other supports.

The new units are expected to open in 2025, though an exact date was not provided.

“In a span of less than a year, the city, guided by council’s priorities, has partnered with the province on three 60-unit temporary-housing projects with 120 units of housing operational and another 60 on the way,” Tom Dyas, mayor of Kelowna, said.

“We have already witnessed reported successes from the first two sites, STEP Place and Trailside Transitional Housing. 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.”

This and the other two HEARTH locations are temporary housing solutions and will be in place for a minimum of three years.

“STEP Place has emerged as a pivotal safety-net housing response. In the first six months, STEP Place has helped residents realize goals in employment, mental health and substance use,” Patricia Bacon, CEO, John Howard Society of Okanagan and Kootenay, stated.

“STEP Place’s model of independent small houses, combined with robust skills-based programs, has created a unique model of housing where every person has an opportunity for personal development, dignity and to participate in the community.”

In August of 2023, the City of Kelowna and the B.C. Government signed an agreement to formalize the commitment of working together to support people who are unhoused or sheltering in encampments. That agreement allows the city to lease the land used for the temporary housing to the province for a nominal fee so the HEART and HEARTH programs can be used to bring people off the streets and connect them with supports and services.