The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) engaged CitySpaces to undertake a Regional Housing Needs Assessment. Member communities in the RDCO include: the District of Peachland, City of West Kelowna, City of Kelowna, District of Lake Country, Central Okanagan East Electoral Area, Central Okanagan West Electoral Area, five First Nation reserve lands for Westbank First Nation, and one reserve for the Okanagan Indian Band.
The RDCO completed this Regional Housing Needs Assessment to provide staff, the Regional Growth Strategy Steering Committee, and member municipalities and First Nations with a better understanding of local housing issues. The Regional Housing Needs Assessment was undertaken due to growing concerns of housing affordability across the region, and to identify where current and future housing needs are located across the housing continuum and throughout the region. As part of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, our team:
- Collected data to present the housing situation in the Central Okanagan and member communities;
- Outlined where housing gaps exist for Central Okanagan communities;
- Analyzed how member communities’ housing markets affect the regional housing market;
- Considered housing supply and demand parallel to the Regional Transportation Plan; and,
- Reviewed administrative, institutional, and governance function needs related to the supply of housing.
As identified in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, populations experiencing the greatest challenge finding housing in the Central Okanagan include:
- Persons experiencing homelessness;
- Persons experiencing mental health issues and substance use challenges;
- Low-income households including families and seniors;
- Moderate-income households, including households trying to enter to the homeownership market
- Seniors; and,
- Youth and young adults.
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment will be used to guide policy formulation in member municipalities, form a basis for the Regional Housing Strategy, and will inform land use planning as part of the Regional Growth Strategy review.
