'Everybody in the region needs to be doing this': Kelowna city manager on homelessness, housing

16 Views

  • Thanks! Share it with your friends!

    You disliked this video. Thanks for the feedback!

RockSinCity
Published
Homelessness
“Everybody needs to be part of the solution. All the communities,” Gilchrist said.

“Now, (for) how many people come to our community or become homeless, there's no metric for that. It's anybody's guess. But what I will say is we need everybody in the region to be doing this. Not just Kelowna.”

Work is still underway for the units off Highway 97 and there was a possibility for a third site, which could bring the total up to 180 temporary units for people experiencing homelessness.

The third site would likely be the small individual units as seen in the city’s North End, he said.

“They could be there for quite some time. So they're not permanent structures, but they do have longevity,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist said the city has been in discussion with other cities like Vernon and Penticton who reportedly responded positively to the idea.

He also said that if more communities jumped on this idea, it could alleviate the amount of people experiencing homelessness from travelling around the region seeking out shelter and other services.
Kelowna's heritage area protection
Under the same provincial housing legislation that encourages more infill housing, the government designated transit hubs in cities across BC as well as guidelines for building heights to densify transit supportive corridors.

Despite outpouring concern from residents and community groups, Kelowna City Council supported changes to the bylaw for the heritage area earlier this month.

Gilchrist said the city can only do so much when it comes to the mandated legislation.

“The things that are designated have a heritage designation on them, the homes in that area are protected. However, the heritage area as a whole is not protected,” Gilchrist explained.

Full story on KelownaNow.com
https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Kelowna/Everybody_in_the_region_to_be_doing_this_Kelowna_city_manager_on_homelessness_housing/
Sign in or sign up to post comments.
Be the first to comment