WHAT’S THE CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS IN KELOWNA
There is no singular cause of homelessness in any community. Much like every person is unique, every experience that leads a person into homelessness is unique.
However, there are socio economic trends that can be identified. Understanding the root causes of poverty and homelessness in our city is important to find viable solutions.
Trends that have historically affected homelessness in Kelowna include peaks in population growth and housing supply, higher migration rates into Kelowna from other areas, tourism (less rentals for locals), aging populations and growing income divides.
AN END TO HOMELESSNESS – IS IT ACHIEVABLE?
An end to homelessness does not mean we will never have someone who needs emergency shelter or loses housing: that would not be realistic.
Our goal is to prevent homelessness; and when it occurs, ensuring it is rare, short-lived and non reoccurring. Rather than declaring an end to homelessness, many communities strive to achieve Functional Zero. This can be achieved when housing, beds and services are available for everyone who needs it. The goal is permanent housing and emergency shelters are only for temporary needs.
There may always be families and individuals that will need emergency, transitional or supportive shelter. What we want is to have a response system that can act quickly to move people from homelessness to being properly supported.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN KELOWNA?
Annual Homelessness Trends
To understand the extent of homelessness in our community, the diverse dynamics involved in homelessness need to be addressed. At any given time, the number of people experiencing homelessness in our community can ebb and flow, but there are ways we can determine the level of supports needed. We need to focus on the numbers of people experiencing homelessness throughout the year, rather than only at a given point-in-time.
Extreme Core Housing Need: This number includes those in our community who may be at risk to lose their home as they are likely spending more than 50% of their household income on rental fees or housing costs, who earn less than $20,000/year. This data comes from the 2016 Census, Statistics Canada.
Transitionally Homeless: those who may experience homelessness short-term, generally less than a month.
Episodically Homeless: those who move in and out of homelessness.
Chronically Homeless: those in our community who have been on the streets for a long time, potentially years.
Point in Time Count
A Point in Time (PIT) count is a snapshot of those experiencing homelessness in our community. The data is important to identify trends and key issues related to homelessness. Policy makers, service providers and funders use the data to inform planning for housing related programs and services. Details about the 2018 Point in Time Count for Kelowna can be found here.
While the Point in Time count in an important tool, it is just a snapshot of the homelessness situation at one particular time. While it may capture an accurate look at those who are chronic or episodically homeless, it will likely only capture a percentage of those who are transitionally homeless. To develop a long-term strategy and effectively plan for the future, a broader look at homelessness including those who are at risk of losing their home, needs to be considered.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS WORKING IN OTHER CITIES?
To develop a plan that will be successful at a local level, it is important to explore best practices that have been identified in other communities. Two emerging best practices will be at the core of Kelowna’s Journey Home plan:
Housing First is the approach of providing housing for individuals in need without barriers due to circumstances, mental health needs or addictions. It centers on moving people who are experiencing homelessness into housing as a first priority, and then providing wrap around supports as needed. The idea behind Housing First is that people are better able to improve their well-being and address individual needs such as income or sobriety if they are first housed.
Systems planning or a system of care is the formal approach of coordinating service delivery at a community wide level. The goal of systems planning is to:
- have a clear understanding of who is becoming homeless and why
- based on that clear understanding, identify their needs and design coordinated responses
- use a “no wrong door” approach (no matter where a person turns for support, any agency can connect an individual with the services they need)
- promote system unity by aligning services to avoid duplication, improve information sharing and increase efficiency
- develop early intervention strategies
- ensure a community commitment with partnerships to design policies, strategies, and investments
- enhance housing stability though partnerships
- provide easy access to crisis intervention and support
WHAT’S BEING DONE TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS IN KELOWNA?
Housing is a community wide issue that is being addressed on multiple levels through partnerships, land contributions, policy, zoning, grants and incentives.
- Partnership housing with BC Housing to identify property/building options – to address emerging needs in Kelowna, such as emergency housing and single room occupancy buildings. The City has provided land to BC Housing for seven projects including Willowbridge Transitional Housing, Cardington and New Gate apartments.
- Housing incentives for purpose built rental housing through grants and tax relief – the City recently increased the funding available for 2017 and 2018, as well as weighting the incentive more heavily towards family-friendly housing. Since 2001, more than $2.5 million has been directed to the Housing Opportunities Fund. From the fund, more than $420,000 in annual grants are provided to developers of purpose built rental housing.
- Ensuring a reasonable housing supply is available – the City continually monitors and reports development trends in our community and considers the availability of appropriate zoned land for the development of various forms of housing as acknowledged in the Official Community Plan. In 2016, 489 units of purpose built rental housing were issued building permits and in 2017, 1,083 units were issued building permits.
- Council endorsed the 2017 theme area for the Healthy City Strategy, ‘Healthy Housing’ – this is a joint initiative with Interior Health focused on improving health outcomes through improved housing policies and practices.
Find more information using the following links: Housing in Kelowna , affordable housing and BC Housing.
WHAT IS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND WHY IS IT A NECESSARY FOCUS?
Youth homelessness is defined by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness as:
Referring to the situation and experience of young people between the ages of 13 and 24 who are living independently of parents and/ or caregivers, but do not have the means or ability to acquire a stable, safe or consistent residence.
The causes and impacts of youth homelessness are distinct from adult homelessness, as such plans and interventions must be tailored to youth. Youth experience homelessness in distinct way: they’re often less visible on the street, and more likely ort find alternative, and often temporary accommodations such as couch surfing. Many young people lack the experience of living independently and at the same time may be in the throes of significant development (social, physical, emotional, cognitive) changes.
All people, including our youth, have the right to the essentials of life, including adequate housing, food safety, education and justice.
– Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
WHAT’S BEING DONE TO ADDRESS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN KELOWNA?
A Way Home – Kelowna (AWH-K) is developing a strategy and implementation plan to prevent, reduce and address youth homelessness in our community. AWH-K is being embedded into the Journey Home Strategy to ensure a consistent approach to homelessness across the age spectrum.
There’s a lot of amazing work that our community is already doing to prevent and address youth homelessness and ensure the right supports are provided to youth when they need them:
- Okanagan Boys and Girls Club: Youth Emergency Shelter, Penny Lane, Gateway Suite, Youth Drop-in, Reconnect
- Canadian Mental Health Association: Foundry, Scattered Site Housing
- The Bridge Youth & Family Services: Host Homes, PATH Program, Youth Wellness Centre, YD33
- ARC Programs: Drug and Alcohol Counselling, administer Youth Agreements
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED OR OFFER TO HELP?
All of the community input has been brought together to form the Journey Home Strategy. In addition to showing that the community is poised and ready to move forward with the Strategy, the signed pledges serve as a visual reminder that addressing homelessness effectively takes the whole community.
To learn more, review the Journey Home pledge frequently asked questions.
If you would like to support Journey Home but aren’t sure where to start, we welcome you to reach out initially by emailing journeyhome@kelowna.ca.
WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS?
Check out the Journey Home mythbusters sheet to learn about common misconceptions around homelessness.