City launches additional supports for housing development
News Release
The demand for housing in Kelowna is outpacing supply, leading to rising prices and a lack of affordable options for many residents. By reducing barriers, updating zoning and improving processes, the City is offering homeowners more options for what they can do with their lot, and more efficiently.
"The City of Kelowna is committed to innovating to support the development of more housing options for our residents, especially in light of the housing affordability and availability challenges we face," said Dean Strachan, Manager of Community Planning and Development.
A new Housing Development Support Team, composed of senior City planners who have extensive knowledge and experience in the local housing market and planning regulations is a dedicated service starting July 18.
The team will assist property owners, housing developers and builders with projects in the community by providing site-specific and detailed information on housing development opportunities, processes, and requirements across Kelowna – making it quicker and easier to get the information needed to get housing built.
The introduction of time-saving innovations such as the City’s development chatbot and fast-track approval process for infill housing also offer new ways to speed up review and processing of applications, freeing more staff capacity to enable value-added services like the new Support Team.
“The Housing Development Support Team is a new way for us to provide more proactive and responsive service for those who play a role in adding the supply of homes our community needs,” said Strachan. “The Housing Development Support Team will support planning technicians and junior planners to provide a higher level of service, answer questions and provide guidance for housing development proposals of any scale, location, or type in Kelowna.”
The Support Team can be found at the One Window Development Services Counter at City Hall. The team is available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and can be reached at planninginfo@kelowna.ca or 250-469-8626.
Learn more about housing in Kelowna at kelowna.ca/growingkelowna.
