West Kelowna needs to build 13,459 homes by 2044, says an interim update to the city’s housing needs assessment.
Colliers Strategy and Consulting presented the report to council and council reviewed the report on Tuesday.
“These changes are intended to help local governments better understand and respond to housing needs in their communities,” said the staff report.
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The interim report needed to address three new provincial requirements, which included the number of units required to meet current and anticipated need for the next five and 20 years, a statement about the need for housing near transportation infrastructure and a description of the actions taken by the local government to reduce housing needs.
A staff report says the number of housing units needed was calculated using provincial requirements and found that West Kelowna needs 3,169 units within five years and an additional 10,290 within 20 years.
That five-year target is significantly higher than the five-year housing target of 2,226 units set out by the province earlier this year.
According to the interim report, 102 units will be needed for people experiencing homelessness in the next five years and 204 units within 20 years.
City councillors were told that the housing needs assessment found that 95 units over five years and 378 units over the next two decades needs to be dedicated to extreme core housing needs.
That means housing for those paying more than 50% of their income on housing costs, those currently in inadequate housing or those in homes not suitable for their household.
About 223 of those units should be rentals and 155 should be “free hold” or stratified housing.
All municipalities in BC need to finish their interim housing needs reports by Jan. 1.
“Municipalities must then update their official community plans and zoning bylaws by December 31, 2025, to accommodate the number of units identified,” said a staff report.
“The first regular Housing Needs Reports are required to be completed by December 31, 2028, and every five years thereafter.”
In January 2024, the City of West Kelowna received $326,478 in funding from the province to implement new provincial housing legislation. The staff report said about $20,000 was used to complete the interim housing needs report.
