Social Development - Homelessness and beyond

Kelowna has gone through dramatic changes since 2018. The landscape around homelessness has intensified due to many factors, including the toxic drug supply crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and housing unaffordability. We see people experiencing homelessness who never have before, and rapid growth in the number of people sheltering outside.

In the 2024 budget, City Council approved the expansion of the City’s Social Development department with a goal to increase our capacity to mobilize and actions solution focused approaches to complex social issues including homelessness.  While housing and homelessness dominate today's landscape, the City is conscious that there are many facets of social development, including: social inclusion, accessibility and poverty reduction, child care, youth and senior planning and more.

Expanding the Social Development department is in part a response to the community’s call for greater City investment in leading coordination, development, and implementation of a renewed community homeless response plan. In Q1 2024, the City will begin to build its internal structure, assembling the team and formalizing partnerships with sector partners. Throughout this building process, the City will continue to support and apply pressure to other systems responsible for providing an adequate number and range of health and housing supports and services that meet people where they are at and respond to diverse challenges.