People experiencing homelessness in Penticton will soon have access to new supportive housing, with the Province and the City of Penticton entering into a partnership to provide up to 52 units of modular housing.

The modular units will provide urgent housing and support services for those who need it most. The units will have 24/7 staffing, administered through a non-profit housing partner, and will include services to help residents stabilize and rebuild their lives.

“There are too many people in British Columbia who are struggling to get by and don’t have a safe and secure place to go,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “These first 1,000 units of modular housing demonstrate our government’s commitment to act quickly and make sure people not only have a place to call home, but that they are receiving the appropriate support they need to improve their daily lives.”

Penticton is the eighth B.C. municipality to use the Province’s new modular housing program to begin to address homelessness. More than 1,000 units are now confirmed in communities throughout British Columbia. This drives the program past the halfway mark of the Province’s goal to build 2,000 modular homes over two years in B.C. by working in partnership with interested communities.

“We’ve been working hard to help facilitate many of the non-profits along with the Province to address homelessness and housing affordability,” said Andrew Jakubeit, mayor of Penticton. “We are very thankful for the Province to commit to helping our community. Housing is the main foundation for a person’s physical well-being, mental health, and opportunity to regain dignity and become a productive contributor to a community.”

The B.C. government is working closely with the city to identify a site for the development and is providing approximately $8 million for this modular-housing project.

Quick Facts:

• The B.C. government is investing $291 million to build 2,000 modular housing units for people who are homeless, and more than $170 million over three years to provide 24/7 staffing and support services for these units.
• Each modular building will provide self-contained units with personal kitchens and washrooms.
• The Province will be working with local governments and community partners to develop a homelessness action plan to reduce homelessness through permanent housing and services.

Learn More:

More information about the B.C. government’s modular housing program can be found here: https://www.bchousing.org/partner-services/major-projects/modular-housing-initiative

To find out what the Province is doing to improve housing affordability, please visit: news.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/bc-government-addressing-housing-affordability-challenges

A backgrounder follows.