VIDEO: BC government plays catch-up on student housing

Post Secondary Education Minister Lisa Beare is having a look at what $2 billion will buy you these days.

That's how much the province is spending on new student housing.

Beare toured the soon-to-open, 216-bed student housing project at the Kelowna campus of Okanagan College Wednesday.

The Kelowna project is one of three underway for the college.

The Vernon campus is adding 100 and there are 60 more in Salmon Arm.

Around the province, Beare is looking forward to a total of 12,000 new beds for students.

"We've built almost 8,000 units already," said Beare.

"My goal is to get working on this next 4,000 as quickly as possible."

And the minister said she hopes to do more after that as the NDP government plays catch-up on student housing.

"We had a long gap where student housing just was not built," said Beare.

"When we formed government in 2017 we realized that only 130 units had been built in the previous 10 years."

It's an issue that has been a huge stress for students who move to attend school all around the province.

Okanagan College President Dr. Neil Fassina said the current project helps address a big issue for students who come to Kelowna to attend OC.

"Finding a spot to live that is on the affordable side for students is a barrier faced by many," he said.

The project more than doubles the available housing at the Kelowna campus which currently has just 144 beds.

"It allows those 216 students every year to know that they've got a home and that they don't have to worry about where they're going to be living in September," said Fassina.

The new residence was designed with the active involvement of the local indigenous community.

Eagle feathers accent the building and artist Clint George was pleased with how it looks.

"They actually look pretty cool," he said.

"It's amazing that we have our artwork on these buildings."

Beare admits the current projects only begin to address the need.

"I would love to see more. We're going to continue to keep doing that work."

The residences in Kelowna, Vernon and Salmon Arm are all expected to be open and ready to accept students by September.