Please, Mrs. Robinson

Photo: CTV

Selina Robinson, B.C.'s minister of municipal affairs was in Kelowna today, meeting with Mayor Colin Basran and local homeless and housing stakeholders, to talk about housing and homelessness.

Robinson planned to visit Chapman Place and the Society of Hope.

"We're always looking for successful projects, and we know there are a couple here in Kelowna, so wanting to make sure we understand what works and how we can support people who are on a fixed income or a young person trying to get ahead and looking for housing that's appropriate for them and that they can afford," she said.

A controversial supportive housing project proposed for a property in the Mill Creek Commerce Park was set to go before council back in December, but never made it after pushback from neighbours.

It was one of several projects BC Housing was hoping to move forward to provide housing for the city’s homeless.

Just before council was set to debate the project, Mayor Colin Basran read a statement from the developers, who said they had heard the concerns of neighbours, and were going to take some time to make the project more “aesthetically pleasing.”

Council passed a motion to defer the application, and a modified version is expected in the near future.

Robinson said: "as I tour the province and I hear from communities who are bringing modular (housing) on side, there are lots of ways to integrate them into communities."

"I know a lot of people when they hear modular, they think ATCO trailers. That's not what this is. The ones that we've toured in Vancouver, people have no idea it's a homeless shelter. They are built in Kamloops, and they are pretty amazing."

The NDP government has pumped up its presence in the Okanagan this week, with Premier John Horgan making a school announcement in Lake Country on Thursday.

The West Kelowna byelection is on Feb.14.