Mayor Tom Dyas reminded provincial ministers of Kelowna’s priorities during a Union of BC Municipalities Housing Summit in Vancouver this week.
Dyas met with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang.
He was a panelist at the summit, discussing encampment response (Bill 45), and an agreement the city has with the province and BC Housing that is providing 180 transitionary encampment response shelter spaces be provided in Kelowna.
“Yet, Bill 45 would remove another tool for municipalities to deal with the downstream impacts in our community to what are provincial mandates and gaps in delivery, housing, health, mental health, drug enforcement, justice,” Dyas said in a news release.
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The mayor added there is a need for improved cross-ministry collaboration between housing, health, mental health and addictions, and justice and public safety to better serve the most vulnerable in communities.
Dyas also joined mayors from across B.C. asking for infrastructure development to match the pace of growth in municipalities.
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