Kelowna and its surrounding area have – and continue to be – settings of interest for research on homelessness, housing, and the broader social support sector. In addition to promoting the research conducted under the banner of the KHRC [through our KHRC Publications & Presentations and KHRC Community Reports and Summaries pages], we’re also committed to supporting the dissemination of other local research related to our topic areas.
Below represents a snapshot of other academic and community research in the Okanagan over the years related to housing, homelessness, and the support sector, including:
- Reports & Books
- Journal Articles
- Dissertations
While the below table includes a range of BC Housing Research Centre reports, our Resources and Context on Homelessness page provides a more comprehensive collection of community resources related to current context of homelessness, including links to local strategy documents, community pages, and data (and at a national, provincial, and local level).
Note that this represents items attributable to Kelowna, or the Okanagan more broadly, by name. It is common for academic outputs to omit the names of settings in their abstracts, or to mask the location entirely. Additional collections of potential interest attributable to mid-sized cities more broadly are forthcoming.
Reports & Books
Note that the default setting is to show the first 10 entries. That can be changed below to see all items in this section.
| Title | Author(s) | Year | Topic | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Housing Strategy (RDCO) | Urban Matters CCC | 2022 | The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), in partnership with Urban Matters CCC Ltd., is developing a Regional Housing Strategy (RHS) to explore tools and actions that can address housing issues, needs and gaps throughout the Central Okanagan. | LINK |
| Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy (RDCO) | Urban Matters CCC | 2022 | The RDCO, in partnership with the District of Peachland, City of West Kelowna, City of Kelowna and District of Lake Country, developed a Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy (COPAWS) to provide a coordinated and shared community action strategy for poverty reduction in the Central Okanagan. | LINK |
| Addressing homelessness in a smaller Canadian city : community-engaged research with Vernon, B.C. | Presley, Bethany | 2022 | Cities across Canada are experiencing an increase in homelessness and are struggling to keep up with the needs of the growing homeless population. Smaller cities are no exception to this trend... I have partnered with Vernon to examine the ways in which the city addresses homelessness with minimal supports from the Federal Government. I hope that this research will put Vernon and other smaller Canadian cities on the academic radar, drawing attention to the challenges faced by smaller communities throughout the homelessness crisis. | LINK |
| Penticton Supportive Housing Review: Summary Report | Harry Cummings & Associates Inc. | 2022 | This report presents the findings of the Penticton Supportive Housing review, commissioned by BC Housing and prepared by Harry Cummings and Associates Inc. The purpose of this review is to determine the extent to which the three supportive housing sites in Penticton (Burdock House, Compass Court, and Fairhaven) are meeting their mandates to residents, the need for supportive housing in Penticton, and the impact that supportive housing has had on residents and the surrounding community. | LINK |
| Community Confidence in Justice: Advocacy Paper | City of Kelowna | 2022 | This paper seeks to contextualize property crime locally, underline the impact of prolific property offenders, and highlight the provincial health and criminal justice challenges driving a "catch and release" system of offender management. This system is impacting police responses, affecting local government taxation, and sewing discontent in our community while undermining public confidence in the administration of justice. | LINK |
| Journey Home Strategy - Mid-Term Report | Central Okanagan Journey Home Society | 2022 | The report includes key impacts and influences that have shaped our work over the first few years, followed by progress on the 35 recommendations that are presented under each of the Strategy Pillars. Lastly, the report shares our future priorities for action and a summary of the data modelling project that was developed alongside the mid-point review process. | LINK |
| Kelowna Youth Services Framework | Urban Matters CCC | 2022 | The Framework is guided by principles that focus on a relationship-based approach to action, engage youth 12-24 years old at every step of the way, ensure consistency in youth services and provide youth designated spaces. Actions have been outlined and informed through an engagement process which included conversations with four youth groups and twenty-two youth serving organizations in the community. Identified actions are also informed by a scan of promising practices from other jurisdictions and communities. | LINK |
| Projecting Demand for Supportive Housing in Kelowna | Urban Matters CCC | 2022 | The Journey Home Strategy was completed in 2018 and was a ground-breaking document for the City and community in that it set the foundation for a systems approach to eliminating homelessness, a comprehensive road map, and modelling of anticipated Supportive Housing spaces over the coming 5 years. Three years into delivering the Strategy, the community has moved towards more organized and consistent data collection  there is data available today that was not when the original Journey Home Strategy was developed. | LINK (p.43) |
| Community Trends 2021 -- Housing unaffordability: Crisis or crossroads? | City of Kelowna | 2022 | The Community Trends Report reflects on this topic of unaffordability by posing a few key questions: What is the state of housing in Kelowna today? How is affordability discussed and why does it matter? How can we change the conversation to be more productive? Will the housing system and the role of the actors need to evolve? As a local government, do we need to re-examine our role in housing affordability? | LINK |
| Nowhere to Go: A Report from the Youth Homelessness Research Project | WRH Consulting | 2022 | The City of Penticton applied for and was successful in receiving a grant from the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC) in early 2020. The grant provided financial assistance to support the development of a community-led youth homelessness assessment and strategy to mitigate, and ultimately work to eliminate youth homelessness in the City of Penticton. | LINK |
| Housing Assessment Resource Tools - Prototype: City of Kelowna and Findings of a National Survey | Whitzman et al. (Housing Research Collaborative) | 2021 | Without simple, robust, equity-focused, comparable and replicable housing need and land assessments at all levels of government, it is impossible to set meaningful housing targets, or measure progress towards this right. The Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project aims to support the right to housing for all Canadians. | LINK |
| Report to Council - Affordable Housing Land Acquisition Strategy | City of Kelowna | 2021 | Purpose: To provide Council with information on an Affordable Housing Land Acquisition Strategy as part of the Healthy Housing Strategy implementation. | LINK |
| Allyship in Research Toolkit | Kyleen Myrah, Kerry Rempel, & Stephanie Laing | 2021 | The purpose of this toolkit is to provide researchers and practitioners with a framework to embed lived and living experience, and allyship, into their work. The toolkit describes ways to incorporate authentic participation into the entire research or program development process, identifies strategies for engaging in a co-research/co-construction process, and outlines the benefits of practicing in this way. | LINK |
| Complex Needs Advocacy Paper | Urban Matters CCC | 2021 | With the increasing level of demand for housing and medical services, key stakeholders have acknowledged the immediate need for housing, health supports and resources allocated to clients with complex needs which can include mental health needs, alcohol and substance use dependency needs, FASD, developmental delays, and brain trauma injuries. Locally, in the Central Okanagan, the supply of housing opportunities and related supports for individuals with these types of needs is not readily available. The Complex Needs Advocacy Paper takes a regional approach and includes the perspectives and data from the City of Vernon, District of Lake Country, City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna and Okanagan Indian Band. | LINK |
| Mapping For Functional Zero: A Systems Approach Review of KelownaÃÂs Homeless Serving Sector | Central Okanagan Journey Home Society | 2021 | In addition to summarizing system planning priorities for the community, a summary of KPIs is presented, as well as an overview of process mapping efforts (including an account of diversion, outreach, shelter, housing, and healthcare / substance use treatment services). | LINK |
| UBCO X Vernon Homelessness Strategy Report | Presley et al. (GEOG 491H) | 2021 | Our intention was to find and categorize various programs that help to manage homelessness, as well programs that may contribute to solving the issue completely. This report highlights fifteen different successful projects ranging from housing plans, investing, technology implementation, community involvement, strengthening services to infrastructure, which we hope can be a valid reference for Vernon in their approach to address the issue of homelessness. | LINK |
| Homelessness Vulnerabilities and Potential Mitigating Supports (Report A: Focus Group Findings) | Kerry Rempel, Kyleen Myrah, Stephanie Laing, & Kyler Woodmass | 2020 | The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to start engaging with individuals with lived experience and service providers to gather community specific information about the factors they felt put people most at risk of homelessness and to understand what could be done locally to affect change. The second was to present this information to local groups (service providers, funders, policy makers and those with an interest in the area) to assist in their work and actions going forward. | LINK |
| Hearthstone modular supportive housing resident outcomes: results at six months after opening | BC Housing | 2020 | BC Housing has undertaken a review of the outcomes for residents of modular supportive housing units across the province six months after building opening. This report highlights key outcomes for residents of Hearthstone in Kelowna, B.C. Hearthstone provides 46 units for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. | LINK |
| Central Okanagan Community Wellness Analysis | Urban Matters CCC | 2020 | In response to the lack of regional and community-specific data around poverty, the Central Okanagan Poverty Reduction Committee pursued the development of a regional poverty analysis. With support from the Vancouver Foundation, United Way SIBC, the City of Kelowna and the District of Lake Country, the committee partnered with Urban Matters CCC to develop the Central Okanagan Community Wellness Analysis. The analysis provides data on key wellness and poverty indicators for the Central Okanagan and also provides a profile for each of the communities within the region. | LINK |
| Dedicated-Site Supportive Housing SROI Case Study Series: Cardington Apartments, Kelowna | BC Housing | 2018 | Cardington Apartments is a supportive housing building in Kelowna operated by the John Howard Society, Central & South Okanagan. It was the first supportive housing site in Kelowna and it provides safe and affordable housing with supports for single men and women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This case study used the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology to demonstrate the social and economic value created by investing in dedicated-site supportive housing. | LINK |
| SROI Analysis: The Social and Economic Value of Dedicated-Site Supportive Housing in B.C. | BC Housing | 2018 | This study explores the social return on investment (SROI) of operating dedicated-site supportive housing in B.C. Five dedicated-site supportive housing programs receiving investment from BC Housing were examined as case studies. They included: The Budzey Building, Vancouver; Cardington Apartments, Kelowna; The Kettle on Burrard, Vancouver; Queens Manor, Victoria; and Wesley Street, Nanaimo. | LINK |
| Scattered-Site Supportive Housing SROI Case Study Series: Canadian Mental Health Association, Kelowna | BC Housing | 2018 | Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kelowna offers scattered-site supportive housing in Kelowna. Scattered-site supportive housing programs assist individuals experiencing - or at risk of experiencing - homelessness in transitioning from the streets, shelters, or inadequate housing to long-term housing stability in the community. This case study used the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology to demonstrate the social and economic value created by investing in scattered-site supportive housing. | LINK |
| SROI Analysis: The Social and Economic Value of Scattered-Site Supportive Housing in B.C. | BC Housing | 2018 | This study explores the social return on investment (SROI) of operating scattered-site supportive housing in B.C. Five scattered-site supportive housing programs receiving investment from BC Housing were examined as case studies. They included: CMHA Kelowna, Kelowna; CMHA Mid-island Branch, Nanaimo; Lookout Housing and Health Society, Surrey; MPA Society, Vancouver; and Pacifica Housing, Victoria. | LINK |
| Small cities, big issues: Reconceiving community in a neoliberal era | Walmsley, Chistopher, & Kading, Terry | 2018 | This book examines the origins of the homelessness crisis in Canada and its impact on small cities. We focus, in particular, on four small cities in British ColumbiaâÃÂÃÂKamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Prince GeorgeâÃÂÃÂall of which have been obliged to embark on social planning initiatives in the face of growing homeless populations. | LINK |
| Redevelopment Case Study Series: Pleasantvale Housing, Kelowna | BC Housing | 2018 | The Rotary Club had operated housing for low-income seniors in Kelowna since 1957. The club could no longer operate the site, which needed major repairs, so Pleasantvale Homes Society took it over. To access funds for redevelopment, the society sold the land to BC Housing, which also acquired adjoining City-owned land. The redeveloped site has units for low-income seniors in a four-storey building and townhouses for low- and moderate-income families. | LINK |
| Indigenous Housing Series: Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society | BC Housing | 2018 | Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society manages the Family Den (FD) program, an Indigenous family-based transition housing program providing a range of supports. The FD program assists urban-Indigenous families in crisis that are currently involved, or at risk of being involved, with the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Parents and children are able to safely stay together in a semi-supervised, substance-free home. | LINK |
| Community Acceptance Series: Cardington Apartments, Kelowna | BC Housing | 2018 | Cardington Apartments in Kelowna opened in 2008 and has 30 self-contained units providing supportive housing development for adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, managing mental health and addiction challenges. This case study explores concerns that were raised about the site and the strategies used to gain community acceptance. | LINK |
| Community Acceptance Series: Property Values Supplement - Cardington Apartments, Kelowna | BC Housing | 2018 | This case study supplement explores the impact of supportive housing on property values in the surrounding area. | LINK |
| The Changing Image of Affordable Housing: Design, Gentrification and Community in Canada and Europe | Maschaykh, Ulduz | 2015 | This book features a range of case studies of affordable housing options in Canada, including a summary of the Willowbridge Transitional Housing in the Okanagan. It examines the liveability and affordability of twenty-first-century residential architecture. | LINK |
| Family Homelessness in Prince George, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson and Nanaimo: Final Report | Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) | 2014 | Family homelessness represents a significant challenge in many communities. This research seeks to fill a critical gap in our knowledge about family homelessness and the different types of coping strategies adopted by vulnerable families and individuals who find themselves without a safe, secure place to live. | LINK |
| Knowledge for Action: Hidden homelessness in Prince George, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson and Nanaimo: Research Report | Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) | 2011 | The goal of this research project is to develop a better understanding of the hidden homeless populations in five (5) smaller urban centres in British Columbia: Prince George, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, and Nanaimo. | LINK |
| Homeless Outreach Practises in BC Communities (Volume 2: Outreach Program Profiles) | BC Housing | 2011 | Includes a community profiles on Kelowna and the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society's Homeless Outreach Program. | LINK |
| Social Housing Policy for Homeless Canadian Youth | Chau, Shirley B.Y., & Gawliuk, M. | 2009 | Chapter 3.3 included a case on a youth within the Central Okanagan, chronically his journey through addiction, the child welfare system, and the youth shelter system. | LINK |
| Building Knowledge: Housing Project Profiles - Apple Valley, Kelowna | BC Housing | This study outlines the Apple Valley (Kelowna) mixed-use residential and commercial strata development project which provided 72 rental housing units for low- to moderate-income seniors and people with disabilities. The project was part of a joint SeniorsâÃÂàRental Housing initiative between the governments of Canada and B.C. to create 1,000 new affordable housing units in 40 communities. | LINK |
Journal Articles
Note that the default setting is to show the first 10 entries. That can be changed below to see all items in this section.
| Title | Author(s) | Year | Topic | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change in the Time of COVID: Determining How a Lived Experience Circle on Homelessness Adapts Their Team Development Model | Myrah, K., & Rempel, K. | 2022 | The case details how the community of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada strove to embed the voice of lived experience individuals into every aspect of their plan to functionally end homelessness. The case discusses how the LECoH team was formed and how the structure evolved and developed, and identifies the key elements that led to successes for the group. It discusses how group norms were created and maintained and how they intended to continue to build those norms with the future members. | SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals. LINK |
| COVID-19 and the Homelessness Support Sector: Perspectives on a Small Communitys Early Response to a Public Health Crisis | Babando, J., Woodmass, K., & Graham, J.R. | 2022 | This exploratory study sought to uncover service provider perspectives on the early response to COVID-19 in a small community in an advanced industrialized country - the homelessness support sector of the Central Okanagan, British Columbia. Following a case study approach, snowball sampling was utilized in May and June 2020 to achieve a sample size of 30 through a mix of one-on-one interviews and open-ended surveys. Common themes are discussed in relation to three areas of questioning including challenges, successes, and mitigations/areas for future support. | International Journal on Homelessness, 2(1), 116. LINK |
| Appropriately homeless and needy: Examining street homeless survival through the lens of Bourdieusian social capital theory | Cook, S. & Hole, R. | 2020 | This research explores street homeless people's survival in the urban realm through their relationship with the system of homelessness services. Given the growing numbers and complexity of street homeless and their related health and social needs, and the increased competition for essential, life-sustaining resources, we examine how street homeless people get their support needs met through their social capital interactions with homelessness service providers. | Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 30:7, 816-834. LINK |
| Fostering immigrant settlement and housing in small cities: Voices of settlement practitioners and service providers in British Columbia, Canada. | Drolet, J. L., & Teixeira, C. | 2020 | A study was undertaken in Kelowna and Kamloops, two small cities in the interior of British Columbia (BC), Canada, to learn about immigrants' settlement and housing experiences from the perspective of settlement practitioners and service providers. Unaffordable housing, limited employment opportunities, and language barriers were found to be the most significant challenges. | The Social Science Journal (Fort Collins), 1-15. LINK |
| Settlement and housing experiences of recent immigrants in small- and mid-sized cities in the interior of British Columbia (Canada). | Teixeira, C., & Drolet, J. L. | 2018 | This study considered immigrants' settlement experiences, including their access to local services and their housing experiences and outcomes, in the cities of Kelowna and Kamloops, with a focus on the housing rental market, and reliance on community services. The results of the study include recommendations for improving immigrants' settlement and integration in urban areas in the interior of British Columbia. Survey data were gathered between April and August 2015 from 80 recent immigrant renters in the cities of Kelowna (40) and in Kamloops (40). | Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 33(1), 19-43. LINK |
| Nudging NIMBY: Do positive messages regarding the benefits of increased housing density influence resident stated housing development preferences? | Doberstein, C., Hickey, R., & Li, E. | 2016 | We employ an experimental research design to test the efficacy of positive messages regarding increased housing density to reduce observed NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard). Using a survey-based experiment, we compared four messages: a notification of the public benefits; the private benefits; a social comparison drawing on expert knowledge of housing preferences; and a control stating recent trends in the municipality. Our sample of 202 residents of a mid-sized Canadian city indicates that messages regarding the public benefits of increased density reduced NIMBYism by four times the control message. | Land use Policy, 54, 276-289. LINK |
| A clonal outbreak of tuberculosis in a homeless population in the interior of British Columbia, Canada, 2008-2015. | Cheng, J. M., Hiscoe, L., Pollock, S. L., Hasselback, P., Gardy, J. L., & Parker, R. | 2015 | A tuberculosis (TB) case was reported May 2008 in Kelowna, British Columbia, leading to a multi-year outbreak in homeless persons. The epidemiological characteristics and social networks of cases are described. | Epidemiology and Infection, 143(15), 3220-3226. LINK |
| Housing experiences of single mothers in Kelowna's rental housing market. | Jones, A., & Teixeira, C. | 2015 | This exploratory study examines the housing experiences of single mothers in the rental housing market of Kelowna, British Columbia, a fast growing mid-size city with high housing costs. We draw on data from a survey of 30 low income single mothers and semi-structured interviews with 11 key informants to elaborate on the numerous barriers that some single mothers face in this rental housing market. | Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 24(2), 117-137. LINK |
| Doing their "home" work: A case study of university of British Columbia Okanagan student youth rental housing experiences in the city of Kelowna. | McEwan, J., & Teixeira, C. | 2012 | The major research questions guiding this study are: (i) What major barriers do postsecondary student youth face in finding affordable rental housing in Kelowna? (2) What coping strategies do postsecondary student youth use in Kelowna's expensive rental housing market? and (3) What recommendations can be made to benefit postsecondary student youth in their rental housing search processes? | BC Studies, (173), 123. LINK |
| Finding a home of their own: Immigrant housing experiences in Central Okanagan, British Columbia, and policy recommendations for change. | Teixeira, C. | 2011 | This study examines the housing experiences of immigrants in Vernon, Penticton, and Kelowna, using data from focus groups of new immigrants and interviews with key informants. | Journal of International Migration and Integration, 12(2), 173-197. LINK |
| Urban-rural migration and health and quality of life in homeless people. | Gray, D., Chau, S., Huerta, T., & Frankish, J. | 2011 | We examine experiences of 120 homeless men in Vancouver and Kelowna in relation to their mobility and its impact(s) on housing stability, health status and behaviours, health and social services. | Journal of Social Distress and Homeless, 20(1-2), 75-93. LINK |
| Housing new Canadians in the Central Okanagan, British Columbia. | Teixeira, C. | 2010 | Access to affordable housing is also subject to spatial biases and constraints such as discriminatory practices by urban gatekeepers (e.g., real estate agents, landlords, mortgage lenders) that affect new immigrants' housing options. Policy makers at the municipal, regional, and provincial (as well as federal) levels, in cooperation with the private sector and local community organizations, need to develop a range of strategies to meet the challenges of affordable housing in such complex mid-sized housing markets as those of Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton. | BC Studies, (168), 45. LINK |
| Housing regulations and living conditions of Mexican migrant workers in the Okanagan Valley, B.C. | Tomic, P., Trumper, R., & Luis L M Aguiar. | 2010 | In this article, we address the growing importance of Canada's Temporary Foreign Workers Program, contextualizing it within global political economy in terms of flexibility, racialization and genderization. We show the growing importance of temporary migrants in various labour markets and briefly explain that in the 21st century different processes for bringing in temporary migrants to Canada are being used as vehicles to privatize immigration and to further racialize and genderize it. | Canadian Issues (Association for Canadian Studies : 1999), 78. LINK |
| New immigrant settlement in a mid-sized city: A case study of housing barriers and coping strategies in Kelowna, British Columbia. | Teixeira, C. | 2009 | While Kelowna's real estate market is one of the most expensive in the country, there is little published data or literature on the housing experiences of immigrants in the city. This study examines the housing experiences and stresses of a small group of immigrants in Kelowna's rental housing market. This study uses data from five focus groups with 34 new immigrants and 20 interviews with key informants, conducted in Kelowna in summer 2008. | The Canadian Geographer, 53(3), 323-339. LINK |
| Reaching out: On communication, community and crumbling brick walls. | Keam, K. | 2007 | Three years ago I moved to Kelowna from East Vancouver. I struggled to feel at home in the Okanagan and missed the co-op housing community where I had raised my daughter. In the co-op I experienced the joy and comfort of affordable housing, neighbours who helped out with child care, sharing meals, celebrating holidays, mentorship and friendship. | Visions (Vancouver), 4(1) LINK |
Dissertations
Note that the default setting is to show the first 10 entries. That can be changed below to see all items in this section.
| Title | Author(s) | Year | Topic | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better to be paranoid than sorry" : women's housing experiences in the city of Kelowna | Vrabic, Kaylah | 2020 | This study focuses on the barriers and challenges that women experience when locating affordable rental housing in the city of Kelowna, one of Canada's most expensive housing markets. This study also pays close attention to women’s housing preferences and concerns. The coping strategies employed by women to overcome the barriers present in the rental housing market are also examined. | LINK |
| Making do with less : the housing experiences of single mothers in Kelowna's rental housing market | Jones, Amanda Gloria | 2014 | The purpose of this study is to examine the rental housing experiences of single mothers in the City of Kelowna. More specifically, it focuses on the barriers and challenges faced by single mothers during their search for rental housing in the city, as well as the strategies they employ in order to deal with these challenges. This paper also makes recommendations for improving the rental housing experiences of single mothers in the future. | LINK |
| A group at risk : a case study of the rental housing experiences and coping strategies of single mothers in Kelowna earning above the government subsidy benchmark | Sanbrooks, Lauren Victoria | 2015 | The main objective of this study is to assess the barriers single mothers earning above the subsidy benchmark face when trying to locate affordable rental housing in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Particular attention is focused on the coping strategies these single mothers use when trying to locate affordable rental housing. | LINK |
| "Sorry, already rented" : a case study of the housing experiences of immigrant women in the mid-size city of Kelowna | Karl, Francisca | 2013 | Since very little research has been conducted on the settlement experiences of immigrant women in such cities, the purpose of this study is to examine the rental housing experiences of immigrant women in the mid-size city of Kelowna, the heart of the Okanagan Valley. More specifically, it focuses on the barriers and challenges immigrant women face when trying to find housing in one of Canada’s most expensive rental housing markets. | LINK |
| Aging gracefully : a case study of seniors in Kelowna's housing market | Brown, Heather Catherine | 2013 | This thesis explores the most salient housing issues experienced by seniors as homeowners and renters living in the city of Kelowna, British Columbia, known as one of the most expensive housing markets in Canada. Barriers and challenges in obtaining and maintaining their housing, housing affordability, and aging-in-place are the primary issues discussed. Avenues for further research are also addressed. | LINK |
| White picket fences : whiteness, urban Aboriginal women and housing market discrimination in Kelowna, British Columbia | Lewis, Sheila Elaine | 2010 | This thesis analyses hegemonic whiteness as a socio-spatial structure and discursive formation, and the way that whiteness interlocks with other axes of identity, such as class and gender, to affect accessibility to the housing market for urban Aboriginal women in Kelowna, BC, Canada. | LINK |
| In tuition : a case study of UBCO student youth rental housing experiences in the City of Kelowna | McEwan, Jamie Gordon | 2010 | The purpose of this thesis is to conduct a case study of the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s student youth (ages 18–29) rental housing experiences in the City of Kelowna, British Columbia. Kelowna features high rental costs and low rental vacancy rates. The rental housing problems that Kelowna currently faces have been acknowledged by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the local government, and the local media. | LINK |
| Barriers to immigrants seeking housing in a mid-sized city : a case study of visible minorities in Kelowna's housing market | Oh, John Doo Jin | 2010 | The purpose of this study is to examine the housing experiences of visible minority immigrants in the mid-sized city of Kelowna, British Columbia. In particular, it focuses on the challenges and barriers visible minority immigrants face in one of Canada’s most expensive housing markets. The role of race as a factor in the housing experience of these immigrants is also examined. | LINK |
| Locating Optimal Affordable Housing Sites: A Determination of Potential Site Locations for New Affordable Housing Units using Multi-criteria Analysis: A Case Study of Kelowna, British Columbia | Poholka, Holli | 2011 | Housing affordability is problematic in the Canadian context for two main reasons: income inequality and the lack of available low cost affordable rental units. This is specifically true in the case of Kelowna, a medium sized city located in the southern interior of British Columbia (western Canada). The purpose of this study is to determine which socioeconomic and physical criterion are related to affordable housing placement and to assess and execute a GIS strategy that best integrates the determined criteria in order to find the best optimal sites to locate potential affordable housing units. | LINK |
| Living with HIV and navigating the work of food security in Kelowna, Canada : an institutional ethnography | Picotte, Heather | 2014 | Using institutional ethnographic methodology, this dissertation explores how 12 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) go about maintaining food security in Kelowna, a small urban centre in southern British Columbia. Food acts as a lens through which a variety of issues are experienced; these include low income, poor health, and lack of mobility and social support. | LINK |
| In the shelter of each other: Supporting the development of non-profit rental housing in British Columbia | Kowalski, Eric Lloyd | 2002 | The document examines the development of Canadian housing policy from its inception in the 1930s to its present configuration to understand how the non-profit sector assumed its prominent housing role. It defines the challenges facing non-profit housing development and identifies a range of federal, provincial and municipal programs and practices that support such development. Results of key informant interviews with non-profit sector and institutional representatives in the two study communities of Kamloops and Kelowna are combined with the findings of the literature review to assess the degree to which existing government support has been adequate. | LINK |
| Exploring the frontline: Improving a residential program to better serve concurrent disordered clients | Rae, Candice | 2007 | This research project explored how a residential rehabilitative housing program could enhance service provision to clients living with concurrent mental illness and addiction. Stakeholders were the housing staff and their program manager, clients, the Kelowna Mental Health Center, the psychiatric unit, and A&DS. | LINK |