Affordable rental housing is coming to Kelowna in an effort to curb the ongoing housing crisis — with the sod-turning ceremony for the project taking place Friday.
Construction is underway on the 122 affordable and energy-efficient rental homes in the building of the National Society of Hope’s Apple Valley development in Kelowna.
The nine-storey building will be located at 2175 Benvoulin Rd. and will provide both one- and two-bedroom homes for moderate- and low-income individuals and families.
“The count of homelessness has increased significantly and we really need a lot more housing across the province,” says associate vice-president of operations for BC Housing Kelly Miller.
The project is named Capstone and is a partnership between the provincial and federal governments, the City of Kelowna and the National Society of Hope, which will own and operate the building.
The project is part of B.C.’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the province has funded more than 30,000 affordable new homes for people in B.C., including almost 1,800 in Kelowna.
“This is a 10-year plan and we are only in year five of the plan so we have a continued commitment to continue building these projects across the province,” adds Miller.
The new homes are expected to be ready for occupancy in spring 2023.