Student housing coming to Penticton campus

Numerous Okanagan College Penticton students will soon thrive without having to worry about having a roof over their head as they pursue their academic studies.

For the first time in its history, Okanagan College Penticton students will have a place to call home and they will be able to access affordable, on-campus housing with the provincial government announcing Wednesday morning $23.5 million in funding to construct a 101-bed student housing project.

Okanagan College will provide the final $500,000 in funding for the $24-million project that will see 101 student beds in 89 units.

Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development speaking on behalf of Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, said this new student housing initiative is crucial for the future of Okanagan College and the City of Penticton.

“If there’s opportunities for us to lower those barriers for students and make education more accessible … that’s the task for the provincial government,” he said. “If I can speak on behalf of Minister Beare, that’s the task she sees as her mandate to make education more accessible and affordable.”

The project is another step forward by the provincial government towards building 12,000 student beds across the province through the Home for People action plan, said Russell.

Secure, stable and affordable housing is designed to help students thrive, while also reducing demand on the local market for student housing, said Russell.

Having more housing available to Okanagan College’s Penticton campus will allow more students to access education with fewer barriers and will help build a brighter future for the college and its students for generations to come, he said.

Okanagan College has three projects opening this fall on other campuses in this region, including a 216-bed project in Kelowna, a 60-bed project in Salmon Arm and 100-bed project on the Vernon campus, he said. To date, more than 8,200 student housing beds are complete or underway.

With provincial funding already allocated, Russell said the goal is to have the new student housing complex in Penticton fully constructed and ready to open just over a year from now.

These new beds will significantly ease the pressure on the city and region’s housing market moving forward, said Russell.

“In the broader community, it relaxes the pressure on housing availability for everybody from seniors to youth,” he said.

Okanagan College president Neil Fassina said having an affordable place to live and the supports that come with student housing is going to provide immeasurable benefits for students across this region who want to attend the Penticton campus.

“Who we are here for today is our students,” he said. “Today’s announcement is transformational for us. It is now our last major campus within our system to be granted a student housing complex.

“When you consider there are over 20 communities that are serviced in our region, being able to put that fourth student housing complex in Penticton here really opens up the southern Interior for us at Okanagan College.”

Offering student housing will allow learners from Osoyoos, Oliver, Princeton, the Boundary region and beyond to be able to move to Penticton and access a safe and affordable home during their studies at the college, he said.

“We truly want to be able to offer students a choice to choose us for their learning journeys,” he said.

Student housing allows those living on campus the comfort of feeling safe, he said.

“It’s that one spot we can go and actually take a deep breath and be able to sit back, relax and not worry,” said Fassina.

Stories about some students having to live in squalor or in their vehicles are heartbreaking, but they do happen and this housing initiative should alleviate many of those circumstances moving forward, he said.

Fassina thanked the provincial government for supporting the college and students across this region as these on-campus housing projects are going to ensure the various Okanagan College campuses thrive for many years to come.

Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield said the announcement for student housing in Penticton is wonderful news for the college and city.

“It’s a super exciting announcement,” he said. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this. As with any city, a college is a key to the social vibrancy of the city and its economic success.”

While the college has provided wonderful educational opportunities for many years, “It has been lacking a piece” and adding 100 student beds is crucial moving forward, he said.

The city hasn’t been asked to contribute financially to this project, but the city’s development services department has been pushing for student housing at the Penticton campus for many years, said Bloomfield.

“We’ve been working long and hard with the college on various options that has finally resulted in this announcement,” he said. “This was just one of the options that was on the table and I can tell you this process has been long and intense.”

Current student Metin Huseyinglu, a second-year kinesiology student in Penticton, said he’s enjoyed his time at the college. However, he and many other fellow students have had to struggle with finding adequate and affordable housing.

“While my experience has been positive, it has been a struggle to find appropriate housing. I’m currently looking for a place to stay that is close to the Penticton campus and will allow me to focus on my studies.

“Today, I’m so excited to hear about this announcement for Penticton campus. Having housing for students here will make an incredible difference to the students’ education. Being able to live on campus will allow future students the ability to focus and not have to worry about where they’re going to live and eventually become part of the next generation of workers.”

Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald