The Central Okanagan’s housing shortage is expected to be exacerbated by the McDougall Creek wildfire.
Emergency officials updated its tally of properties damaged or lost to wildfire in the Central Okanagan to 189 on Monday. Some properties, however, have multiple units of housing. The destroyed Lake Okanagan Resort, for example, had 150 units.
For context, West Kelowna saw 386 housing starts in 2022 and 3,382 across the entire Central Okanagan. The average two-bedroom is renting for $2,365 in the region.
RDCO board chair Loyal Wooldridge acknowledged Monday that housing is a challenge.
“We'll continue to work with the provincial government on finding spaces for people to be able to live. Obviously, we know that we've also got post-secondary students coming to town just starting in September.”
“It's going to be a very fluid situation. We understand the housing crisis that we're currently in, this will put pressure on it,” he continued, explaining there will be a “concerted effort” through the recovery process to find people homes to live in.
“Especially those with circumstances like pets and mobility challenges," he added.
A resiliency centre will be opened later this week on WFN lands for anyone impacted by the fire.
Sally Ginter, RDCO chief administrative officer, said they have taken some “learnings” for the recovery to the 2021 White Rock Lake fire into account.
“We have taken all of that feedback and incorporated it into the design of the resiliency centre. So there will be more information, I just wish to assure everyone that there's been a lot of thought put into it," she said.
Wooldridge said the regional district is advocating to upper levels of government for infrastructure funding specifically for rural and remote areas that lack a tax base for rebuilding.
He also said they are asking the provincial government to better fund emergency operations at the local level.
“Right now, it's a function off the side of many desks of senior leaders and we are looking to the government to help us fund that for an annual function.”
