Colin Basran tours construction of Central Green Care Facility
Artist’s rendering of the Karis Support Society’s Central Green Care Facility.
Kelowna, BC – Nearly a year after inking a housing agreement for the Central Green development, Colin Basran is seeing the results of the City of Kelowna’s leadership on affordable housing.
Basran recently toured the Karis Support Society residences under construction at Central Green. The new care facilities, located at 550 Rowcliffe are part of 15 per cent affordable housing mandate Kelowna City Council required for the site.
“I have been a strong advocate for affordable housing throughout my time on Council, working to build the partnerships and policies that enable projects such as Central Green to become a reality,” says Basran. “As a city, we need to continue to partner with higher levels of government on affordable and supportive housing and encourage developers to provide more housing varieties that are attainable for young families and older members of our community who are on a fixed income.”
As part of the land sale of the Rowcliffe parcel, the City negotiated a 15-year housing agreement with Davara Holdings to ensure affordable housing units would be built. The new residences will provide a minimum of 30 units, ranging from studio to 3 bedrooms, in an effort to provide a continuum of care for clientele of the Karis Support Society.
“This project will not only provide safe housing but also the support, life skills and training needed for women caught in life altering addiction issues and mental health,” says developer Dave Krysko. “There has been a lack of long term recovery programs for women struggling with addictions and the City’s leadership on affordable housing is now helping to close that gap.”
Photo: Developers Dustin Sargent and Dave Krysko tour the construction site with City Councillor Colin Basran (centre).
Supported primarily by a family foundation and private donations, the Karis Support Society already operates eight homes, including spaces for single women and spaces for those with children.
The City also partnered with BC Housing and the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society to create a 82-unit apartments at 1700 Chapman Place on the western portion of the Central Green development. Other City-initiated affordable housing projects underway include the redevelopment of the Society of Hope’s Pleasantvale project where a donation of City land will see 20 units of social housing constructed for families.
Colin Basran’s vision for a connected community can be found online at colinbasranforkelowna.com.
Photo: City Councillor Colin Basran discusses the progress on affordable housing with developers Dustin Sargent and Dave Krysko.
