Kelowna Construction

[Repthe250]

Typical move from the BCNDP. “There’s too many homes now!” God forbid we have too many homes.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by 2009

Bertram BC housing project has been officially cancelled by the province.

How about you build it to ensure that rent prices continue to come down? It's not like people aren't still struggling in Kelowna due to high rental costs. It's a very expensive city. The new building will benefit renters for decades.

A colossally stupid decision.

[Calgarian]

Is the concern that a lot of these units will stay empty and the province will lose a lot of money?

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Is the concern that a lot of these units will stay empty and the province will lose a lot of money?

They'll stay empty if they charge $2400 for a 1BR, but the government shouldn't be into building housing for a profit anyway. It should be to supply much-needed affordable housing to its citizens. That's the entire point. Why would they bother to get into it otherwise? The private market can supply market-rate housing. Rents are still very high in Kelowna - relative to salaries - so something like this is absolutely needed, even if it comes at a loss initially.

Unfortunately, housing as a commodity has been a thing for so long in BC; even the NDP has forgotten about the purpose of government-built housing, and what it's supposed to achieve.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by giallo

They'll stay empty if they charge $2400 for a 1BR, but the government shouldn't be into building housing for a profit anyway. It should be to supply much-needed affordable housing to its citizens. That's the entire point. Why would they bother to get into it otherwise? The private market can supply market-rate housing. Rents are still very high in Kelowna - relative to salaries - so something like this is absolutely needed, even if it comes at a loss initially.

Unfortunately, housing as a commodity has been a thing for so long in BC; even the NDP has forgotten about the purpose of government-built housing, and what it's supposed to achieve.

Government built housing is still expected to pay for itself (unless it's sheltered housing, which this wasn't). The rent collected is supposed to cover the loan cost associated with the construction. Construction costs have risen (both labour and materials), by more than inflation, while market rents have fallen in Kelowna by more than any other Canadian market.

CMHC says there's 3,600 apartments under construction in Kelowna, and 2,200 of those are rentals. Last month there were 566 completed and unsold condos (and another 141 rowhomes).

The adult population of the Kelowna CMA has increased in the past year by an estimated 1,300, so there's already a significant additional housing in the pipeline, and little obvious equivalent demand in the immediate future.

BC Housing have been dropping projects across the province, including in Vancouver and Burnaby, (they're not picking on the Okanagan), as the provincial population falls, and the government has a projected deficit of $13.3 billion this year. They're looking to cut spending that isn't committed, and isn't urgently needed. BC Housing could still develop a more targetted project to meet specific needs, and/or a less expensive project (6-storey woodframe, for example). They could even revisit the tower in years to come, if the financial and economic context is more stable. There are valid reasons for dropping the concrete tower project for now.

[zoomer]

Yep, it's also happening in Victoria. The province has pulled (they say delayed) funding for a student tower at UVic. The $178 million dollar ($121 million from the province) 17-storey tower designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects was to provide 510 beds upon completion in 2029. That completion dated has now been pushed to 2034. To me this one should have gone ahead as it would help get a lot of students out of dingy basements suites across the city.

They've also pulled funding completely for a 22-storey affordable rental housing tower in the Roundhouse development at 251 Esquimalt Road, part of Focus Equity's Roundhouse at Bayview nine building masterplan. Plans for the building were formally submitted to the City in October 2025; however the project was not being developed by Focus Equity but instead by TL Housing Solutions on behalf of the Greater Victoria Housing Society.

There is also a M'akola proposal for a 23 storey rental housing building with 208 homes for Indigenous families, individuals, and Elders next to Mayfair Mall - I wonder if the Kelowna news signals that this one may also be on the chopping block?

As long as I've been alive I don't think any region of the province has ever been satisfied with the level of investment/funding received from the provincial or federal government regardless of party. Also no one wants more taxes, and most people don't want the government more involved in their life.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by zoomer

Yep, it's also happening in Victoria. The province has pulled (they say delayed) funding for a student tower at UVic. The $178 million dollar ($121 million from the province) 17-storey tower designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects was to provide 510 beds upon completion in 2029. That completion dated has now been pushed to 2034. To me this one should have gone ahead as it would help get a lot of students out of dingy basements suites across the city.

They've also pulled funding completely for a 22-storey affordable rental housing tower in the Roundhouse development at 251 Esquimalt Road, part of Focus Equity's Roundhouse at Bayview nine building masterplan. Plans for the building were formally submitted to the City in October 2025; however the project was not being developed by Focus Equity but instead by TL Housing Solutions on behalf of the Greater Victoria Housing Society.

There is also a M'akola proposal for a 23 storey rental housing building with 208 homes for Indigenous families, individuals, and Elders next to Mayfair Mall - I wonder if the Kelowna news signals that this one may also be on the chopping block?

As long as I've been alive I don't think any region of the province has ever been satisfied with the level of investment/funding received from the provincial or federal government regardless of party. Also no one wants more taxes, and most people don't want the government more involved in their life.

Oh, they won’t dare touch that one, because of DRIPA or some other bullshit.

5% of British Columbians have nothing to worry about, the other 95% apparently can go fuck themselves. I’m sure more huge swaths of crown land and public parks will also be pulled from the region banning access from the 95%.

Apparently the Osoyoos Indian band is eyeing a bunch of crown land that has actually been slated for parks / protected spaces.

But the land, culture, Fuka¥;6-hj6bb7 or some other fucking bullshit.

Sorry for the rant. This just poked me for some reason. I was hoping that reconciliation was going to be about erasing blood / race barriers and bringing people together (with compensation and formal apologies of course) but from closing parks to the public, undercutting private land tittles, and making huge swaths of the province now off limits for someone to live without being the right race, it’s accomplishing the complete opposite and has become an obvious power play and grift.

I feel now that any park / public space / crown land area that I have long enjoyed will at any moment be cut off from access.

This for some reason irks me even more that so much money has been pumped into this divisive program while road and transit infrastructure in the Okanagan has been at a decade long standstill and now supportive housing to help everyone is being cut.

Fuck.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Oh, they won’t dare touch that one, because of DRIPA or some other bullshit.

...

now supportive housing to help everyone is being cut. Fuck.

The cancelled project in Kelowna was in partnership with M’akola Housing Society.

It was to have been purpose-built rentals for workforce, singles and families with middle to moderate incomes. "No supportive housing or short-term rentals are proposed."

[RHINO]

Unfortunately, I don't think " reconciliation " was EVER about reconciling anything. It was never about putting people on an equal even footing. It was always about giving benefits to those who are of Aboriginal back ground that are far greater then what is given to other Canadians.

Ask a first nations person if they want to be treated the same way EVERYONE else is treated and explain what that means. You wont get a single yes, because that was never what was wanted.

Sorry to Pile on, but I'm also tired of working my ass off, having my kids get jobs to pay for their own sports and assist with rent because my wife has M.S. and ( yes that costs a fortune ) and we as a family go with out. Then my son be told he has to write a letter to the first nations band explaining how his white privilege gave him advantage over them in high school, when most of them don't even pay taxes.

Okay, Im done now too.

[Bcasey25raptor]

They shouldnt have cancelled this project but the province is bankrupt rn and theyre cutting spending on everything

[RHINO]

Agreed, there will be a number of projects going down this path.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by giallo

They'll stay empty if they charge $2400 for a 1BR, but the government shouldn't be into building housing for a profit anyway. It should be to supply much-needed affordable housing to its citizens. That's the entire point. Why would they bother to get into it otherwise? The private market can supply market-rate housing. Rents are still very high in Kelowna - relative to salaries - so something like this is absolutely needed, even if it comes at a loss initially.

Unfortunately, housing as a commodity has been a thing for so long in BC; even the NDP has forgotten about the purpose of government-built housing, and what it's supposed to achieve.

The concern is likely not that they won't profit, it is probably that these units will just sit empty and unsold, and the loss the government takes will just be bigger. Tax payers don't usually like it when government spending is deep in the red...

[valid and not in use]

UBCO Tower Update (taken Aug 3)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/203992527@N08/55445299700/in/dateposted-public/

[Metro-One]

Thanks for the update!