Kelowna’s MLAs are speaking out after yet another delay has snarled the tiny home initiative intended to house Kelowna’s unsheltered population as temperatures continue to fall.
“These delays are not just inconvenient, they are potentially life-threatening,” said Kelowna-Mission MLA Renee Merrifield.
The tiny house project is a collaboration between the City of Kelowna and BC Housing that was announced on Oct. 12. Two locations for the tiny home villages have been unveiled.
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On Dec. 14, Kelowna MLAs Renee Merrifield, Norm Letnick and Ben Stewart wrote an open letter to the BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon asking for urgent support for the housing project.
Once complete, the two villages of tiny homes will house more than 120 people. The villages, comprised of pet-friendly single-room dwellings for up to two people, will include a communal kitchen and bathrooms. Residents on-site will also have access to social supports.
The city has announced that it is looking at adding a third village with additional homes in the future.
Despite a promising start, the project has hit some unexpected delays in finding an operator for the site. The site operator would be in charge of ensuring that the villages are in safe, working order, and will be responsible for cleaning and providing access to social supports.
In an interview with Capital News, Merrifield said that the City of Kelowna has done its part in preparing for the project. She said that the tiny homes are currently sitting in a storage facility, the sites have been secured and everything is ready to go.
Merrifield said that the final hurdle that the project must overcome is in securing a site operator. She said that the responsibility of finding a site operator is in the hands of BC Housing.
“It is disheartening to see the lack of urgency,” said Merrifield.
She said that the new tentative move-in date for the tiny home villages is in mid-February.
Capital News has reached out to BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and the City of Kelowna for comment but did not receive a reply from either, by the time of publication. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
When temperatures drop overnight, the shelters in Kelowna quickly fill up and those experiencing unsheltered homelessness are required to sleep at the city-designated encampment on the Rail Trail. Currently, approximately 150 people call the encampment home on a regular basis.
