City to prepare housing strategy

The City of Kelowna will soon begin developing a housing strategy.

According to Community Planning Manager Theresa Eichler the strategy will take about a year to complete.

In response to a question regarding any future funding requests, Eichler says there is sufficient funds and more money will not be required, however, Eichler says they will be back before council at some point to run by council the Terms of Reference.

Eichler says it has been 10 years since the city adopted all of the recommendations from a comprehensive housing study.

"It focused a lot on affordability and what is affordable for Kelowna and what our needs were and so on," says Eichler.

"A lot of the recommendations were adopted as policy into our OCP. We have been updating those strategies and policies over the years and making changes to our zoning bylaw."

Eichler says this study will be a review of housing on a larger scale.

"When I speak of that I am talking about housing mix, trying to make sure that our housing development coordinates with our residents needs, looking at the green revolution and how green infrastructure is going to affect affordability."

She says the definition of affordability will be reviewed as will the city's role in housing.

"Do we continue to be a regulator and policy agency, a partner as we have been or do we take a bigger role."