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BC Housing in front of Penticton council to discuss next steps of redeveloping motels

Work on Skaha Lake Road motels isn’t likely to start until late 2023
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Meadowlark Motel is one of four motels along Skaha Lake Road that BC Housing will eventually redevelop into affordable housing. (Google Maps)

For the first time since BC Housing announced it had bought four motels along Skaha Lake Road, the government body will be in front of Penticton city council to discuss next steps in the redevelopment.

The goal of redeveloping those properties is to provide affordable rentals for singles, families, workforce, seniors, and persons with disabilities living in the Penticton area, says the report submitted from BC Housing to the city.

Joanna Tung of BC Housing and Jessica Delaney (Delaney and Associates) will be in front of the committee of the whole on Tuesday afternoon to introduce BC Housing’s Skaha Lake Road and West Green Avenue redevelopment of the motels and the timeline for public engagement.

The timeline is very long with full public engagement on the project not happening until fall of 2022.

Pre-engagement is taking place this month and into May with community members directly affected by the re-development of the site including the Penticton Indian Band, tenants of the motels and community neighbours, schools, businesses and service providers, said BC Housing.

Ongoing collaboration and partnership with the PIB and Indigenous People will be part of the process, said BC Housing.

The feedback this month and into May will help inform draft design concepts. BC Housing will also be seeking feedback from existing tenants on current and future housing needs.

Online or hard copy surveys will be available to the public from April 18 to May 16.

Email feedback to communityrelations@bchousing.org.

In May 2021, the province, through BC Housing, purchased three motels along Skaha Lake Road (and had already purchased Skaha Sunrise) as part of a proposed redevelopment plan to bring 103 affordable homes for people with low incomes in the community.

READ MORE: BC Housing converting four Penticton motels into low-income housing

“The purchase of these motels will help ensure existing affordable housing in Penticton is maintained and improved so people can continue to live affordably and thrive in the community,” said David Eby, B.C.’s Attorney General and the minister responsible for housing.

The province invested approximately $7.9 million for the purchase of the three motels.

The properties are:

* Meadow Lark Motel at 2730 Skaha Lake Rd.;

* Sun Valley Motel at 2784 Skaha Lake Rd.;

* Mayfair Motel at 2824 Skaha Lake Rd.; and

* Skaha Sunrise Apartments at 2872 Skaha Lake Rd. and 179 Green Ave. W.

BC Housing has taken over all 57 tenancy rental agreements. BC Housing already owns Skaha Sunrise Apartments, with 46 low-income rental housing units in four buildings and is the current home of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)’s Unity House. All the motels now how blue metal fencing around them indicating redevelopment. But tenants still live in the units.

In a surprise turn of events, BC Housing gave Unity House an eviction notice when they bought Skaha Sunrise. Unity House serves clients living at Skaha Sunrise. Unity House had until this month to relocate.

READ MORE: Unity House forced to relocate after BC Housing buys property

BC Housing is also building recovery-based building for the homeless at 3240 Skaha Lake Road. Construction on that building has not began.



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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