Report says nearly half of citys renters in unaffordable housing
As Kelowna works its way through a new plan to address homelessness, city staff are also putting resources into making housing for affordable for everyone else, too.
The Healthy Housing Strategy is one of six pieces of Kelowna's Healthy City Strategy, and was recently approved by council.
Planning manager Danielle Noble-Brandt says they spoke to people dealing with a whole range of crises.
"We've heard of families living in their vehicles with their children, and due to the fear of losing their children, these families don't reach out for help," she said.
"We've heard from other individuals with varying levels of housing vulnerability and homelessness, including youth who left their family's home due to abusive relationships, families living in accomodations that are not suitable for them, and others being evicted from their rental housing."
The five-year plan highlights four key directions, which focus on promoting rental housing, reducing barriers for affordable housing, building the right type of housing, and building better community partnerships.
Planner James Moore says building more single family homes in suburbs won't solve the current issues.
"We know that 47% of renters and 19% of owners in Kelowna are facing unaffordable housing costs. This is the single most critical issue according to Kelowna residents, and we need to expand how we look at housing affordability – also linking it to energy efficiency and transportation costs," he said.
"The idea here is that if you build affordable housing that requires vehicle ownership and has high energy costs, you really aren't any further ahead."
The city says the average family can afford a home valued at $550,000 – with the current average price of a single detached home at $706,000.
