New plan aims to end chronic homelessness in Kelowna
The city's new Journey Home strategy is prepared to move 2100 people off the streets by 2024.
That plan was endorsed by council on Monday, with 38 key actions carrying an estimated cost of $47 million.
300 new supportive housing units are needed, which includes the 190 units already committed to by the province.
Task force co-chair Martin Bell says this is $18 million of essential spending.
"There's been over 2000 points of contact with individuals through all of the different elements – we've had community forums that have been in the hundreds of participants," he said.
"On that front, the design labs got past pointing out what the problem is, to things that are actually really the problem. We talked a lot about here in the community, (the) talk about homelessness as a problem. Homelessness is not a problem, a lack of housing for those who are homeless is the problem."
He says adding 300 more units will also help address issues like public safety.
"If there was a silver bullet, you would have found it already. And there isn't one. And so the silver bullet really is action, we've actually got to work our way through this to get those housing units built with supports, so those people can actually be part of the community, feel really part of that community," he said.
"It's not one of those things that's going to be solved in a day, but if you think about it, there are over 100 units that are coming our way, that are actually going to be built and operating by the fall. That's enormous."
Mayor Colin Basran warned council that future decisions on the location of things like supportive housing projects will come with controversy.
"Some of the recommendations – or perhaps projects, rezonings – won't be popular. But I applaud council and the community for standing up for what's right for our community," he said.
"I really hope that the next council continues this work forward, because this is so foundational to our community being a place for everybody."
$26 million is set to be spent on 500 new program spaces, which would provide support to people in low-income rental housing.
However, the city's not being asked to foot the full cost of the plan, as it plans to explore funding possibilities from government and private sector sources.
The volunteer task force will continue for another nine months, as it transitions into an independent backbone organization that leads the strategy's implementation.
It'll get municipal funding – $425,000 worth – through 2020, but plans to eventually fundraise enough to cover the full cost of operations.
