KELOWNA, B.C. – The City of Kelowna in British Columbia will soon have up to 60 temporary homes with supports for those experiencing homelessness in the city.
The 60-unit project was created through an agreement between the B.C. government and the City of Kelowna to commit to the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) programs, a provincial government release said.
“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. 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,” provincial minister of housing Ravi Kahlon said.
The development at 3199 Appaloosa Rd. will have as many as 60 temporary supportive homes, each with a separate entrance, the release said. Each home will have a bed, desk, microwave oven, air conditioning and heat, and a small storage space. The site will include communal spaces for eating, lounging and laundry, as well as overdose prevention services, care professionals and other supports.
The project is expected to open in 2025.
“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. 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,” Kelowna mayor Tom Dyas said.
All three HEARTH locations are temporary housing solutions and will be in place for at least three years, the release said.
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