Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

Housing Targets

Kamloops making progress on housing targets; long awaited Cherry Avenue apartments to open this fall

Feb 14, 2025 | 12:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s Housing Minister says he continues to be encouraged by the progress being made in Kamloops as the city works towards achieving its provincially mandated housing targets.

Last term, the B.C. NDP Government put Kamloops on a housing naughty list, that required the City build 4,236 net new housing units by Sept. 2028, with 679 of those units required to come online by Sept. 30, 2024.

Only 66 per cent of the year one target was achieved by the city, however, expectations remain high for year two, with more than 1,700 new units currently in the pipeline, according to Minister Ravi Kahlon.

“No doubt, I’m seeing progress in Kamloops, and that is positive to see. In fact we are seeing that in all the community we put targets in place,” Kahlon said. “And that tells me two things, one it’s good to have every one aligned on what we are trying to achieve in order to get to where we need to get to. And second having targets laid out actually helps decision makers to be able to make decision to move projects forward.”

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In addition to current building projects throughout the community, the City of Kamloops has also been leading the charge on community land trusts, a topic the minister was hoping to receive an update into.

“He asked specifically on the lands transferred to the community land trust. This council is well aware land discussion are held in closed, but you are aware back in October of 2023 we presented city lands with land development potential, we identified seven properties that potentially could be transferred to the land trust,” said David Freeman, Assistant Director of Development for the City of Kamloops during the Jan. 14 council meeting.

The government, in an attempt to move projects quicker has removed hurdles for municipalities, including public hearings on some builds, that however has lead to some complaints from residents about the public not being heard.

“Ultimately the problem we are trying to solve is the fact that young people don’t see hope, they don’t see an opportunity to be able to buy homes in our community. And those often that have them, don’t see the urgency in wanting to approve more for those who are struggling,” Kahlon told CFJC News.

“We are trying to get past that impasse, and we are making progress and the numbers show it.”

Cherry Avenue Property Opening Imminent

A Cherry Avenue property that was bought by BC Housing in 2023 to create 42 new units of low to moderate income housing is also finally moving forward after countless delays connected to the previous owner and needed construction.

“Anyone that has ever done renovations know when you start opening up walls and you start changing things you end up finding additional challenges,” Kahlon said. “And we did have in the contract to recover some of the dollars for work not done, so that does help, but we did have some issues around pipes and frozen pipes that we needed to address.”

“With that being said we are expecting people to move in this fall.”

Once renovated, the building is is expected to be offered to low- and moderate-income families, seniors, individuals and people living with disabilities.

Kahlon was in Kamloops last year to announced more than 400 new units across the housing spectrum from shelters to seniors and middle income earners.