Kelowna needs tens of thousands of housing units of all types to meet expected demand.
In a Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) update to council Monday (Sep. 11), staff noted that 1,870 to 2,650 are needed annually to 2031.
sa国际传媒淭here is a significant existing housing deficit in Kelowna,sa国际传媒� said Arlene Janousek, city planner.
That deficit is currently 3,750 to 5,000 homes.
The population in Kelowna has grown quickly, particularly in recent years, and growth is expected to continue creating additional demand for housing in a community already facing affordability challenges, Janousek said.
More than 200,000 people are expected to be living in the area by 2041. She added that Kelowna also has a major shortage of subsidized rental housing.
sa国际传媒淢any lower-income households are no longer able to afford market rents and their needs would be better met with subsidized rental housing.sa国际传媒�
Since 2018 rents in the Central Okanagan have increased by 32 per while house prices have increased by 55 per cent, according to Janouseksa国际传媒檚 report.
sa国际传媒淲e need a tenfold increase in the delivery of subsidized rental housing annually,sa国际传媒� she said.
Staff has done an assessment of public and non-profit land that could be suitable for subsidized housing.
sa国际传媒淲e found that there is significant capacity within the city to accommodate this type of housing,sa国际传媒� Janousek said.
However, she added that further site-by-site analysis would be needed to determine suitability.
Janousek told council that the city has demonstrated it can approve housing quickly enough to meet demand, but that the pace of housing construction needs to increase.
sa国际传媒淏ased on some of the permitting trends wesa国际传媒檙e looking at, and through some of the engagement findings, meeting these goals will be a major effort for the development community.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭here are ongoing challenges in terms of sourcing labour, supply chain issues, and wesa国际传媒檙e seeing larger more complex projects that take longer to be delivered.sa国际传媒�
The HNA also sets out annual housing targets to meet the expected demand:
Janousek added that affordability challenges along with decreasing household sizes and shifting preferences have led to increased demand for smaller units in multiple-dwelling buildings.
sa国际传媒淲e do expect this trend to continue.sa国际传媒�
While the HNA found there is an adequate level of ownership housing being approved, it must align with residentssa国际传媒� incomes and household needs.
sa国际传媒淕enerally, new single detached homes are the most expensive form of housing and they are out of reach for most Kelowna residents, whereas smaller multi-dwelling units tend to be more affordable,sa国际传媒� Janousek said.
Additional infill housing, such as house plexes and townhouses would help address the need for more attainable types of housing, she added.
The full HNA report can be found on the City of Kelowna website.
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gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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