Councillor Penny Gambell says vacant home tax is not something theyd implement
At 14%, Lake Country has the highest number of empty homes in the Central Okanagan.
Stats from the 2016 census indicate this outpaces the regional average of 8% – Kelowna is at 6.2%.
Lake Country Councillor Penny Gambell says at this time, there's no talk of implementing a Vancouver-style empty home tax.
"That wouldn't be something we would look at as a municipality – it would be something that you would look at regionally. What I would like to know, which I don't at this point because this is just new information, is what is the trend – is it increasing or is it decreasing," she says.
Gambell says council hopes to have a clearer picture of the district's housing situation when staff completes a report into housing suitability.
The report will also look at future hotel development in Lake Country.
