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By Liam Verster

16 units opening in 2022

Affordable housing options coming to Okanagan Indian Band

Oct 7, 2021 | 11:40 AM

A new housing development will be built in the Okanagan Indian Band Reserve to provide members with 16 affordable on-reserve homes.

The development will go at Lot 48 Head of Lake Road and Lots 230 and 231 Pebble Park Lake. The project will provide rental homes for Indigenous peoples and small families with moderate and low incomes. The development will consist of one and two-bedroom homes in four two-story buildings. Four of the homes will also be wheelchair accessible.

The project will also incorporate culturally appropriate design elements to showcase the OKIB’s culture, and a large-scale art piece by an Okanagan Nation artist will be installed at the site as well.

“Housing is always in short supply on reserve so the additional fourplex units will certainly help ease the housing situation,” said OKIB Chief Byron Louis in a release.

“The additional housing will help meet immediate needs while providing longer-term options for people who live on reserve, and also for people who want to move back to the reserve. Housing helps bring the community closer together, which helps to preserve our culture and our unity. This housing will help on many fronts.”

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The province is investing $1.7-million for the Building B.C.: Community Housing Fund to create the housing options.

“Our government is proud to be working with the Okanagan Indian Band to help support their goal of increasing the number of members living in their community,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee.

“We will continue to work in partnership with Indigenous organizations and First Nations to build homes like these to ensure that Indigenous peoples can live in their communities, surrounded by their culture.”

The new homes are expected to be open in the spring of 2022.