Cindy White
Construction of a much-needed new student housing building on the Okanagan College campus in Kelowna has begun.
It will have 126 beds and will be next to the existing student residences on the corner of KLO Road and West Campus Road.
“We know it can be a stressful time for students to find housing and it can be very difficult to find housing in this region given the high demand,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA of Vernon-Monashee, who made the announcement on behalf of Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Training.
Kelowna City Council parceled out the property to increase the height allowed on campus from three to six floors to accommodate the project.
There will be 168 micro-units, four double units and 10 quadruple units, plus 67 parking spaces, to complement the car park that is already available at the adjacent Skaha campus residence.
It will bring the total number of homes on campus to 360 units. Construction of the 216-bed building is scheduled to end in the winter of 2023.
The BC government is also funding 100 more beds on the Vernon campus and 60 on Salmon Arm. The total cost of the project for the three is $ 67.5 million, with $ 66.5 million coming from provincial funding.
The Vernon project is expected to begin later this summer and be completed in early 2024, while the Salmon Arm project is expected to begin in the fall of 2022 and be completed in the spring of 2024.
Vernon is also receiving 44 daycare places.
“When people want to study post-secondary, you know how long it takes to remove the barriers that many face. Not everyone has the same luck, and then the biggest barrier is caring for children,” Sandu explained.
The total cost of the project is $ 67.5 million, with $ 66.5 million coming from provincial funding.
By campus, the province has invested:
- Kelowna, $ 36.4 million;
- Vernon, $ 18 million; i
- Salmon Arm, $ 13.1 million.
“Having a stable and affordable place to live is critical to student success,” said Neil Fassina, president of Okanagan College. “Adding housing to three Okanagan College campuses will foster more inclusive and equitable access to education that will transform students’ lives.”