(Image Credit: CFJC File Photo)

By Victor Kaisar

Housing Issues

City of Kamloops has ‘positive and productive’ meeting on recovery housing, day spaces with B.C. Housing Minister

Feb 15, 2026 | 2:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops councillor says the city had a “positive and productive” meeting with B.C. Housing Minister Christine Boyle, which was focused on two main topics of discussion – recovery-oriented housing and year-round day spaces.

Deputy Mayor Nancy Bepple says the minister was told on Jan. 27 about the need for more recovery-oriented housing as critics allege the province appears to favour low-barrier housing instead of a spectrum to meet the needs of different people.

“There’s a shortage of that type of housing currently in our community so we outlined what we saw as the community’s need,” Bepple told CFJC Today. “From my perspective, I felt the minister understood what our concerns were. She was very engaged and was listening to what we had to say.”

“We also made it clear that there was a need for a day space in Kamloops. We wanted the support for BC Housing to contribute to that.”

The move away from recovery-oriented housing came to a head over a project at the corner of Fortune Drive and Leigh Road last year. ASK Wellness was proposing to operate a dry, recovery-focused facility, but it was turned down by the ministry after BC Housing’s Appendix E – or Minimum Requirements Checklist – was added to the RFP process.

Week In Review

Week in Review: Week of February 16

19h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: The NDP is kind of a wolf in sheep's clothing

Feb 22, 2026

Two & Out

PETERS: Where has the money gone?

Feb 20, 2026

“There needs to be a spectrum of housing across the province of British Columbia, and what we’ve seen is this sort of entrenchment of low-barrier housing across the province,” Kamloops North Shore BIA Executive Director Jeremy Heighton said at the time. “What we are also however seeing is municipalities and agency leaders saying we need to change the model.”

“If we only have one type of housing, people are entrenched in that type of housing.”

Boyle told CFJC in December that the province’s focus was on adding low-barrier housing as “the data shows us is needed.”

“We know that there is a range of needs and that we are most successful when we have opportunities for people to first come indoors into a low-barrier option and start to rebuild some trust and relationships with healthcare providers,” Boyle said.

In a statement, the city said it “thanked the Province for its ongoing work on key housing projects and acknowledged the strong collaboration that has led to positive results to date.” It also noted that both sides “reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a constructive and solutions-focused partnership.”

“During the meeting, the city and province discussed a range of housing and support opportunities including how the province can help deliver recovery-oriented supportive housing, day spaces for unhoused individuals and shelter capacity,” the city statement statement read.

“They further highlighted the importance of coordinated solutions that support unhoused individuals while also addressing the impacts on nearby residents and businesses.”

According to the city, the Minister has committed to review data, explore options, and identify opportunities for improved coordination. The two governments also exchanged updates on governance and legislative work underway, the statement added.

It’s not clear whether this meeting will clear the way for future recovery-oriented housing projects in Kamloops. Asked for specifics on any commitments made by the Minister, Bepple said BC Housing projects move forward in a step by step manner.

“Nothing goes from start to finish in one big leap, and I think we moved the dial a bit,” Bepple said. “We had a really positive dialogue with the minister in terms of what some of the needs are in the community.”

Day Spaces

Bepple also said the city hopes to see BC Housing fund a drop-in day space in Kamloops. She noted there is a list of communities with day spaces on BC Housing’s website, and the city wanted clarity on whether those spaces were funded by the Crown corporation.

“Regardless of whether or not BC Housing is funding those cities, we felt that Kamloops would be a place for BC Housing to put in a pilot for a day space,” Bepple said.

“We wanted to make sure they understand the value of it because they are providing housing or shelter space for people and if there is no day space, a lot of people spend a lot of time outside and it defeats the purpose of providing the other services they do provide.”

A group called NOMADS (Networking Outreach Meals Advocacy Development Supports) has been speaking out about the lack of a drop-in day space in Kamloops. Those calls were overshadowed by the December arrest of Glenn Hilke, who used to operate The Loop until it was closed in 2024.

“You can’t have a hospital without an emergency room. You can’t have wraparound services without the starting point, and the starting point is the day space drop-in centre,” Hilke told CFJC last month on the one month anniversary of his arrest.

“We want to let the public know we’re on their side. Elected officials, provincial and city, they need to step up and make a decision.”

The day after he was arrested, Hilke told CFJC that while some city staff and councillors have spoken about the need for a drop-in day space, he noted there appears to be little desire to act on those statements.

“The evidence is there in terms of the need for a day space. City managers, CSOs, RCMP, Fire, they’re all saying this. Why isn’t it happening is the question that needs to be addressed by our elected officials,” Hilke said on Dec. 20.

In December, Kamloops City Council voted to send a letter to the province asking it to help fund a year-round indoor day space. A similar request was made over a year ago, and Councillor Dale Bass – who floated the suggestion – said no response was received.

“Homelessness in Kamloops is a long-term escalating crisis,” Bass said, noting local shelters are over capacity.

Bass’ motion wanted the province to provide a “timely, written response outlining next steps for partnership with the city.”

It’s not clear if this meeting will lead to progress on a new drop-in day space or where such a facility could be set up in Kamloops.

Bepple noted she felt it was “worth spending” the time with the minister.

“I think we made some headway,” Bepple added, as the city statement noted the Minister “expressed interest in continued collaboration and future in-person engagement.”