Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran says only one ticket has been issued so far under the recently amended “sidewalk sleeping” by-law. Prompting protest when adopted last year, the by-law restricts people from sleeping or sitting on city sidewalks at all hours.
During a state of the city address at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday, Basran said for all the "uproar", only one ticket has been handed down.
“That’s because by-law enforcement and the RCMP respond to complaints about people blocking sidewalk access by asking them to move to a different location while also ensuring the person is aware of the multiple resources available to them in our city,” he said “We are tackling this issue head on and we are no just sweeping it under the rug”
Homelessness was just one of several issues Basran provided an overview on during his address, which focused on the challenges that come with being one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
He said the city is addressing homelessness with a unified approach, pointing to a new Social Development Manager, hired by the city to work with agencies to tackle the issue, and the success from the recent Transitional Storage Pilot Program at the Gospel Mission as examples.
“And here’s the best news- in the first three months of the program, seven people who got involved were connected with community services and have now moved on into housing,” he said “And 17 people began using the shelter system for the first time after learning about and using the Temporary Storage Program”
Basran said a strong partnership with BC Housing and new initiatives that encourage developments, such as Infill Housing, Rental Housing Grants and amended zoning, will increase affordable housing.
“In this hot market, we continue to look at new and innovative ways to create much-needed rental and market housing for people of all income levels,” he said “We know this is an important area we need to improve on, and we are making progress”
He said construction was completed or started on more than 1,000 units of purpose-built rental housing last year.
But with a growing population also come positives.
Basran said business licences went up 6 per cent last year and the local technology and film industry continues to expand.
“We’re the third-largest technology hub in B.C. and it’s the fastest growing economic sector in Kelowna, attracting new businesses and investors,” he said “The tech sector’s economic impact increased by 30 per cent between 2013 and 2015, and added 1,000 jobs during that time.
He said the new Imagine Kelowna initiative will help guide the city’s growth still to come, and encouraged residents to get involved with the consultations.