Photo: Contributed

Kelowna city council will be asked to throw its support behind two supportive housing projects planned for Kneller Road in Rutland.

While the projects are coming to council as separate items, both are are owned by the Okanagan Metis and Aboriginal Housing Society.

The first application, co-owned by BC Housing, would stretch over three lots on Kneller Road and one on the adjacent Kneller Court.

If rezoning to the Core Area Mixed Use zone is approved, the development would consist of a four-storey building with 40-units of supportive housing for the Kelowna Women's Shelter.

Office space for six employees of the women's shelter would also be included.

According to the presentation, the facility would serve as second stage housing for women and children for between six and 18 months.

"The proposed supportive housing use is consistent with the OCP policy which encourages the provision of supportive and subsidized housing in the core area," planning staff state in a report supportive of the rezoning application.

"The proposed office use is small-scale and directly connected with the provision of supportive housing and is unlikely to adversely impact the adjacent residential neighbourhood."

The second project, adjacent to the first, would feature a five-storey, 48-unit apartment complex owned and operated by the Okanagan Metis and Aboriginal Housing Society.

The building would include 15 market rental units and 33 offered at rents below market rate.

Those non-market rentals would be guaranteed through an operating agreement with BC Housing, a condition of receiving BC Housing funding for the project.