Did You Know? CMHA Kelowna has been delivering supportive housing for the last twenty years and currently operates more than 200 units of housing in the city.
Our years of experience and knowledge gained from housing vulnerable individuals allows us to continue to successfully do so at all of our current and future properties. In the same way that we are committed to working with this vulnerable population, CMHA Kelowna is determined to create a safe and inclusive community that people of all walks of life can call home.
CMHA Kelowna is committed to doing all we can to ensure the safety of our residents and residents of the community. We do not condone illegal activity at any of our housing sites. Any resident who is unable to adhere to our policies is removed from our program.
CMHA Kelowna has taken specific actions to create safer conditions for residents of Heath House and the surrounding community.
- CMHA Kelowna increased night security patrolling Heath House as well as the Days Inn and Microtel sites.
- With the help of the City and funding through BC Housing, we organized night-time roaming security in the surrounding neighbourhood. The security presence acts as a deterrent to any criminal activity taking place.
- We made amendments to our Tenant Program Agreement which clearly outline bike and guest policies. All bikes brought to the property must be registered with CMHA Kelowna staff and, in turn, Kelowna RCMP.
- A CMHA Kelowna Community Clean-up Crew makes regular sweeps of the Heath House property and surrounding Leathead Road area to ensure its cleanliness and safety.
- The CMHA Kelowna Outreach team is regularly in the area meeting with individuals to ensure they are connected to appropriate services.
- We continue to conduct regular meetings with the Heath House Community Action Committee which is made up of local stakeholders, including community residents, to address ongoing issues.
At CMHA Kelowna, we are working on the aspects of these issues that are within our control. We also believe there is a large issue arising in our community. We are seeing homelessness, open substance use, and poor behavior on the rise across the city and we believe there is wider community response needed. One we are willing to be a part of.
No matter how old or how young, we provide support for families and individuals through programs that promote positive mental health and support recovery, while championing the elimination of barriers that can prevent people from thriving.
We do this through: Building Homes, Building Lives, and Building Community
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