CANADA, April 12 - The Province, through BC Housing, and the City of Kamloops have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that formalizes their commitment to work together on future housing projects and shelters.

“This agreement shows that the Province and the City of Kamloops are committed to working together to find solutions to the housing crisis in the community,” said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “We’ve made progress in Kamloops opening hundreds of new homes for families, seniors and people experiencing homelessness, and I’m hopeful this agreement will help us keep the momentum. We will continue to work with the City of Kamloops and other local governments across B.C. to get more affordable and supportive housing built.”

As noted in the MOU, the Province and the city will work collaboratively on finding locations for housing projects and shelters, and on site and building design.

The spirit of collaboration between the Province and the city has led to several projects recently opening and moving ahead, including 369 affordable rental homes for families and seniors, approximately 133 supportive homes and more than 100 shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness. The MOU formalizes this positive working relationship.

“The city and BC Housing partnership is vital to combating the housing crisis we are facing,” said Ken Christian, mayor, City of Kamloops. “Through this MOU, we have strengthened our commitment to work together to end homelessness, provide affordable homes, foster collaboration in research and community messaging, and provide the help needed in our community to help shelter all residents in a safe and secure environment.”

In addition to working together to identify potential sites for new housing projects and shelters, the MOU includes commitments by BC Housing and the city, including:

• BC Housing providing letters of intent to Kamloops City Council when proposing new housing projects;
• the city completing a land-use analysis in 2022 to identify areas for use as shelters; and
• the city supporting BC Housing, where needed, to navigate the municipal approval process for future shelter and housing projects.

Ten housing projects are listed in the MOU that are already underway or proposed in Kamloops.

Through provincial investments since 2017, nearly 1,300 new homes have been completed or are underway in Kamloops.

A summary and a link to the MOU is available online: https://letstalkhousingbc.ca/kamloops