The homeless in West Kelowna are home-grown, a new survey suggests.聽
Two-thirds of those who took part in a questionnaire on homeless issues lived on the Westside before losing their housing, a report to council states.聽
鈥淓conomic instability - driven by unaffordable housing, low income, and lack of family support - remains the primary cause of homelessness, even among residents who were employed when instability began,鈥 the report states.聽
Previous assessments of the extent of the unhoused population in West Kelowna have been called 鈥楶oint in Time Homeless Counts鈥. However, the latest such survey is called the 鈥榃estside Unique Identifier Count鈥.聽
No reason for the name change is given in the report.聽
Henluk Consulting, in collaboration with local organizations, conducted the survey, which is said to have 鈥渆ngaged鈥 with 212 people. Along with people living on streets, survey respondents are said to have included 鈥渕any who are typically overlooked by traditional counts, including individuals living in vehicles, overcrowded conditions, or couch-surfing鈥, the report states.聽
Based on the respondents comments, the report says there is an 鈥渋ncreasing reliance on services for immediate survival (food, hygiene, rest)鈥.聽
Recommendations to city council include more municipal investment in programs like parenting classes and mental health services, along with a stand-alone resource services centre for homeless people.聽
Last year, city councillors raised questions about a planned hygiene centre for homeless people that was proposed for Westbank. Councillors said it was too close to schools, homes, and businesses, and they said West Kelowna hadn't been receiving the same provincial support to address homelessness as other cities.聽
"The resources are there, they're in Kelowna," Coun. Garrett Millsap said at a council meeting in July 2024. "But yet, they're coming to our side of the bridge.
"Until the province comes to West Kelowna and provides us with resources to help with this, there's really no solution on this side of the bridge," he said. "We're inheriting Kelowna's problem on this side of the bridge without the funding."
Despite the opposition expressed at the time, the city has now signalled its support for a renewed effort to establish more services for the homeless in West Kelowna.聽