Get Involved
To follow the progress of the Regional Housing Strategy and receive updates please visit yoursay.rdco.com.
About the Regional Housing Strategy
The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), in partnership with Urban Matters CCC Ltd., is developing a Regional Housing Strategy (RHS) to explore tools and actions that can address housing issues, needs and gaps throughout the Central Okanagan.
The strategy’s objective is to develop a regional approach to direct how to move forward to address challenges around affordability, supply, and supportive housing across the region and improve coordinated action. The RHS will focus on the regional district as a whole to identify a range of actions at the local level specific to non-market and market housing in the two electoral areas, District of Peachland, City of West Kelowna, City of Kelowna, District of Lake Country, Westbank First Nation, and Okanagan Indian Band.
The Central Okanagan is one of the fastest growing regions in the province. Housing gaps exist at all levels across the housing spectrum due to a lack of suitable and affordable housing to meet local needs. These factors include high construction costs, aging housing stock, historically low rental vacancy rate, short-stay accommodation, an increase in demand, and a growing gap between what households can afford and the average cost of renting or entering home ownership.
Collaborative effort is required throughout all levels of government, the housing industry, community groups, and organizations to confront challenges within the region. Taking this regional perspective will ensure that individual communities are working in unison to improve the range of housing opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the region. The strategy is intended to establish a shared commitment, pool resources for more impact, gain momentum for collective action and advocacy, and promote the advancement of partnerships.
Project timeline
Stay informed
Sign up for email updates
If you would like to Stay Informed and receive updates on the Strategy progress please subscribe here
Background
As part of the Strategic Priorities for 2019-2022, the Regional Board decided to initiate and support efforts to create a healthy built environment in which all people throughout the region enjoy access to a diverse range of housing options, remain safe in the face of emergencies and experience a high quality of life. The development of a Regional Housing Strategy was identified as one of the ways to support this.
Building on information gathered through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment in 2019, the Regional Housing Strategy will provide a holistic framework to address identified housing gaps and challenges around affordability, supply, and supportive housing through regional coordination and collaboration.
Under the Regional Growth Strategy, the goal for Housing is to improve the range of housing opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the region. The work of the RHS will improve the range of housing opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the region.
Participants
The project covers the Central Okanagan and includes member municipalities, as well Westbank First Nation and the Okanagan Indian Band.
- Regional District of Central Okanagan
- District of Lake Country
- City of Kelowna
- City of West Kelowna
- District of Peachland
- Westbank First Nation
- Okanagan Indian Band