New report outlines current and future housing challenges
Kelowna council got an in-depth look at the results of the city's housing needs assessment on Monday.
The report takes a closer look at the hot real estate market that is facing Kelowna right now, highlights who is most vulnerable when it comes to a lack of housing, and re-affirms council's priority to add different kinds of homes.
Planning Manager Danielle Noble-Brandt says Kelowna is one of the most expensive places in Canada to live.
"The most urgent financial issue facing Canadians today is the high cost of housing. Knowing that Kelowna has unprecedented housing challenges led us to the development of the Housing Needs Assessment," she said.
"The goals of the assessment are twofold. One, to clarify the problem. What are are housing needs, and will these needs change over time? And two, identify the focus areas – what are the areas that are most pressing?"
Results from a city-led housing needs assessment were presented, and detailed factors on everything from increased homelessness, to a market that's growing more unaffordable.
Of the 11 areas of improvement, many talked about collaboration between agencies, and the need to support a mixed bag of different housing options.
Councillor Ryan Donn says council has a responsibility to spread the word to the public.
"It's not going to be fixed tomorrow. Even what we approve at council literally takes two to three years to even come on stream. That's on us and the public to help communicate – we need to tell them that it's going to take awhile for us to even see the actions of what we're talking about today. But I can appreciate that we'll be seeing the legacy of this for a decade to come," he said.
Councillor Gail Given also says there's many factors at play, including the sharing economy and the increase of housing that's bought as a commodity, and not as a home.
"All it takes is somebody to decide that they can rent their home on Airbnb – despite the fact that it doesn't meet our zoning regulations – for three or four days, and make as much as they would as a rental for a month," she said.
"So we need to find ways to reign that in, and potentially mitigate the housing as a commodity."
Staff are now hosting a public survey that will help shape the creation of the Healthy Housing Strategy.
You can find it between now and January 15 here.
