Another supportive housing project will be built in Kelowna, the provincial government announced on Friday.
The news came roughly eight hours after a controversial decision on Thursday evening by Kelowna city council to support a supportive housing project on Agassiz Road. The hearing in city council chambers, which was attended by many residents who fiercely opposed the project, ended at 1 a.m. with unanimous approval from councillors.
On Friday, the government said a new supportive housing project is being planned for 280 McIntosh Road, near Rutland Centennial Park.
According to the government, the McIntosh Road project will be funded through the Building B.C.: Supportive Housing Fund, and will include up to 50 homes. Residents will have a self-contained studio with a private washroom and kitchenette.
“We know homelessness is a problem that has been ignored for too long in the region and around the province. We need to act now and build more homes for people who need them,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
“Projects like this not only get people out of the cold and into safe, secure housing, they also help people rebuild their lives with the right supports, dignity and respect.”
“Everyone deserves safe, secure shelter,” Kelowna mayor Colin Basran said in the release. “As addressed in the Journey Home Strategy and our community plan, these new homes will help house some of our community’s most vulnerable residents.”
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The provincial government said the supportive housing project on McIntosh Road will be operated by the John Howard Society of Central and South Okanagan.
“We are so pleased to be partnering with B.C. Housing to provide these safe, secure new homes that give people a real opportunity to rebuild their lives,” Gaelene Askeland, executive director of the John Howard Society of Central and South Okanagan, said in the release. “We look forward to being part of the community at 280 McIntosh Road.
“As with all our projects, we are committed to be a good neighbour building safe communities, both inside our buildings and with those who live and work in the surrounding area.”
According to the government, contingent on permit approvals, construction is estimated to begin in spring 2019 and to be completed by fall 2019.
For more information about the project, click here.
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