KELOWNA – In response to the urgent need for shelter, the Province, with the support of the City of Kelowna, has extended operations of the Cornerstone temporary shelter until June 2019.

Keeping the shelter open will allow people to stay indoors while the Province continues to work with the city, the John Howard Society (shelter operator) and community partners toward a relocation strategy.

BC Housing, the city and the John Howard Society are available to meet with neighbouring residents and local businesses to address any concerns about the shelter and will continue to search for an alternative location.

In addition to funding 180 permanent and temporary shelter spaces in Kelowna, the Province is working to ensure people in the community have the homes they need through several supportive housing projects, including:

• 40 homes at Heath House (at 2639 Highway 97) – opened in January 2019
• 46 homes at Hearthstone (1642 Commerce Ave.) – opened in October 2018
• 51 homes at 2025 Agassiz Rd. – in development
• Up to 50 homes at 280 McIntosh Rd. – in development

The Province continues to work with the community to find other locations for supportive housing to provide stable, longer-term housing.

Learn More:

To see a map of permanent, temporary and extreme weather response shelters in B.C., visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/emergency-shelter-map

To find out what the Province is doing to improve housing affordability, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/bc-government-addressing-housing-affordability-challenges

Read Homes for B.C., government’s 30-point plan to address housing affordability for British Columbians: https://bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2018/homesbc/2018_Homes_For_BC.pdf

Contacts:

Melanie Kilpatrick
Media Relations
Ministry of Municipal Affairs
778 698-9176

Rajvir Rao
BC Housing
604 456-8917