The challenges posed by the housing shortage are everywhere in the Okanagan: rv occupants, The family is making their home in the motelAnd Businesses struggling to find employees.
bc new on thursday housing minister, Ravi KahlonThe situation is taking hold in Vernon as he begins to work on tackling one of the province’s biggest problems.
Their North Okanagan stop is part of a larger tour of the interior.
“There [are] I’m here listening and learning and looking forward to taking that knowledge back with some positive solutions.”
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Kahlon said the province is working to build more affordable units for both rent and purchase.
The ministry said it would internally talk to city councils and mayors about how to get that type of accommodation online.
“We need to do this fast. Two, three, four years is too long to wait for these things to be built,” Kahlon said.
Beyond building on existing programs, the new minister was short on specifics.
“We’re refreshing our housing strategy right now, so you’ll have a road map very soon of what we’re going to do, from a provincial perspective, to make sure people have the housing they need, regardless of where they live.” Wherever they are in life, … is there for them,” Kahlon said.
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“It could mean supportive housing … but it could also mean affordable rental units or smaller units that people can actually buy.”
Asked about the province’s plan to create housing targets for some municipalities, Kahlon said it was too early to say whether any Okanagan communities would be included.
“We are now in the process of shortlisting eight to 10 communities that will be targeted. It gives us the tools to be able to step in if we don’t see action at the level we’d like to see it, but so far every mayor I’ve talked to is ready to go,” Kahlon said.
“Definitely there would be a community in the interior that would be on that list I just don’t know [which] At this point because the analysis is still happening.
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Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming came to Thursday’s meeting with the minister with three specific requests: more supportive housing units, a complex care facility for those unable to live in the shelter, and “a plan to bring rental space to those mechanisms that work here.”
Cumming says he wishes Vernon had been more successful in addressing affordability.
“I think we have some facilities that are really positive. Where are we in terms of our requirement? Frankly, at less than one percent vacancy rate, we are well within our requirement. We need to be able to speed up the process,” Cumming said.
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Cumming said the city had a record building permit number last year, “but it’s not enough.”
“You talk to anybody who’s looking for housing here, they’ll say it’s a really, really tough housing market. [We’ve been] Successful in getting things done but not at the speed we need in Vernon,” Cumming said.
Expectations will be high as Kahlon heads back to Victoria to try to deliver on his vision of housing for all.
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