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Council Progress Report: ​Making measurable progress on key issues in our community

> Our community > News & events > News > Council Progress Report: ​Making measurable progress on key issues in our community
March 17, 2025

News Release

On Monday, March 17, Kelowna City Council received the City’s 2024 progress report on key issues important to the community. The report, which identifies seven priority areas and 24 measures, shows the City trending in the right direction on half the measures.

In the first 24 months of the present Council term, the progress report shows the City has made gains in five areas, including Transportation, Crime & Safety, Agriculture, Homelessness, and Affordable Housing. Success highlights include:

  • A 2 per cent reduction in the overall property crime rate as reported by the RCMP, including a 19 per cent decrease in business break and enters (B&Es) and a 5 per cent decrease in residential B&Es compared to 2023 data.
  • Adoption of 19 recommendations from the Mayor’s Task Force on Crime Reduction, resulting in new 2025 funding for the recommendations and for seven RCMP members, four civilian police services support staff, and five bylaw enforcement officers.
  • Increased grants for non-market housing up to $3 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund, and the formation of the Middle Income Housing Partnership, which will begin construction on 160 to 200 new housing units in 2025.
  • Opening of 20 complex care units through Interior Health, with plans to open 20 more.
  • Opening of 120 transitional housing units at STEP Place and Trailside, with 60 more units scheduled to open in 2025.
  • Launch of the Transportation Accelerator Program to expedite the delivery of transportation infrastructure projects including Frost Road, Lakeshore, Burtch Road, Hollywood Road, and Glenmore Road.
  • Completion of the Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy and support for 36 home retrofits through the Home Energy Navigator Program.

Progress on the sixth Council priority, Climate & Environment, has been challenging, with two measures showing no data or no change, and one trending poorly. The seventh Council priority, the Economy, was added in July 2024 and will see progress throughout 2025.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made over the past two years,” says Mayor Dyas. “Council priorities are driven by what matters most to our community, ensuring that every decision we make reflects the needs and concerns of Kelowna residents. Together with our corporate team, we’ll be exploring ways to accelerate progress and deliver more of what citizens want and deserve.”

Demonstrating the City’s commitment to transparency and accountability, the annual Council progress reports provide a visual snapshot of the City’s impact on key issues. The reports also keep Council priorities top of mind and show measurable results.

Additionally, a separate progress report on corporate priorities shows the City’s internal workings trending in the right direction. There’s better alignment between budget processes and service priorities, digital tools are expanding the City’s service capacity, and leadership skills are growing among staff.

“We want Council and residents to see the drivers behind our work and how well we’re doing,” says Mike McGreer, Manager of Corporate Strategy and Performance. “Our Council and corporate progress reports guide our work and help us make better business decisions, as do the performance measures for each service found in the Financial Plan.”

Progress reports on Council priorities and corporate priorities are available online at opendata.kelowna.ca/pages/progress-reports.  

For more information on Council priorities, visit kelowna.ca/councilpriorities .