Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills
Okanagan College Penticton students will soon have access to affordable, on-campus housing for the first time with funding approved for a 101-bed student-housing project.
“This government is acting quickly to build more homes for post-secondary students,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “Okanagan College’s first student-housing beds in Penticton will allow more students to live on campus and focus on their studies. This project is another step towards building 12,000 student beds across the province through our Homes for People action plan.”
The building will have 101 student beds in 89 units. The building will be constructed using mass-timber elements while meeting Step 4 of the B.C. Energy Step Code. The total project cost is $24 million with the provincial government providing $23.5 million, and Okanagan College the remaining $500,000. The project is expected to be complete and ready for students fall 2026.
“Secure, stable and affordable housing is at the heart of helping students thrive, while also reducing demand on the local market for rental housing,” said Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development. “Having more housing available at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus will allow more students to access education with fewer barriers and is one more way we’re helping build a brighter future by investing in people in our communities.”
Okanagan College has three projects opening this fall on other campuses. In September 2024, students will be moving into a 216-bed project in Kelowna, a 60-bed project on the Salmon Arm campus and a 100-bed project on the Vernon campus.
“Having an affordable place to live and the supports that come through student housing is going to be a game-changer for learners in the South Okanagan and throughout the Interior who want to attend our Penticton campus,” said Neil Fassina, president, Okanagan College. “This new building will make attending post-secondary programs more possible for more students, whether they are studying and training for careers in health care, trades, science and technology, or business.”
Expanding access to student housing is part the Homes for People action plan, which commits more than $2 billion toward developing 12,000 student beds on campuses throughout the province. To date, 8,230 student beds are complete or underway. This investment in student housing will help students access post-secondary education and will further ease pressure on the local rental markets.
A backgrounder follows.
