The strategy is now available
The Strategy has been completed and encompasses the input of over 800 residents who participated by providing their insight.
Recommendations include:
- Strengthen coordination between RDCO electoral areas, member municipalities and First Nations.
- Coordinate a regional housing advocacy strategy aligned with Provincial and Federal housing policy to approach higher levels of senior government for additional Central Okanagan resources and support.
- Strengthen mechanisms for information sharing and partnership with First Nations, local governments and non-profit housing providers.
- Develop regional best practices to regulate and protect rental housing stock and facilitate the development of affordable housing.
- Regionally assess policy and development processes to build staff capacity, identify opportunities for policy coordination and streamline approvals with senior government.
About the Regional Housing Strategy
The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), in partnership with Urban Matters CCC Ltd., developed 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 was 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 focused 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 was required throughout all levels of government, the housing industry, community groups, and organizations to confront challenges within the region. Taking this regional perspective ensured 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 was 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
Background
Through the Regional Board Strategic Priorities 2019-2022, the Regional Board developed four priority areas to continue to guide the RDCO’s work until 2022, which includes economic development, environment, sustainable communities, and transportation and mobility. Together these priorities reflect the Board’s sense of future challenges and opportunity to speak to a shared vision for the Central Okanagan as a vibrant and resilient region.
Regional Board Strategic Priorities 2019 - 2022
A measure of success in the effort to create sustainable communities is stated as “We will initiate and support efforts to create a healthy built environment in which all people throughout the region enjoy a high quality of life with access to safe neighbourhoods including a diverse range of housing options”. The first step towards this vision was the completion of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), that was completed in 2019, and identified housing gaps in the RDCO.
Regional Housing Needs Assessment
Building on information gathered through the RHNA in 2019, the Regional Housing Strategy provides 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 improves the range of housing opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the region.
The intention of the Regional Housing Strategy was to establish a shared commitment, identify opportunities where resources can be pooled to have more impact, gain momentum for collective action, advocacy, and advance partnerships. An intended outcome was to provide an overarching guide to partners for a coordinated approach and identifying appropriate actions and individual efforts of each community. The Regional Housing Strategy provides recommendations and corresponding action items to achieve the objectives set out in the Regional Growth Strategy. The objectives of the RHS are as follows:
- Strengthen coordination between RDCO electoral areas, member municipalities and First Nations
- Coordinate a regional housing advocacy strategy aligned with Provincial and Federal housing policy to approach higher levels of senior government for additional Central Okanagan resources and support
- Strengthen mechanisms for information sharing and partnership with First Nations, local governments and non-profit housing providers
- Develop regional best practices to regulate and protect rental housing stock and facilitate the development of affordable housing
- Regionally assess policy and development processes to build staff capacity, identify opportunities for policy coordination and streamline approvals with senior governments
The objectives of the Regional Housing Strategy have been built out through a comprehensive engagement process with the public, stakeholders, local government, and First Nations. With that basis, the recommendations and actions for each objective in the Strategy will provide the opportunity and tools for local governments and First Nations to maintain autonomy while collaboratively addressing housing challenges.