The 2040 Official Community Plan is getting an update – learn more and share feedback

News Release

The City of Kelowna is taking steps to update the 2040 Official Community Plan (OCP) to align with provincial government rules and requirements and ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of our community. Residents are invited to learn about proposed changes to the plan and provide feedback by August 10.

“The City is completing mandatory changes to the OCP to align its housing policies with its Interim Housing Needs Assessment and recent BC Stats growth projections,” said Tracy Guidi, Planner Specialist. “We are building on the solid foundation of Kelowna’s 2040 OCP while following newer legislation and addressing housing needs.”

The proposed amendments reflect the Province’s mandate for all municipalities to update their OCPs by December 31, 2025 to:

• Demonstrate there is sufficient capacity to meet housing demands for at least 20 years as identified in the Interim Housing Needs Assessment (HNA). This means updating the City’s growth scenario to align with the HNA.
• Ensure housing policies address the seven classes of housing needs, including affordable housing, rental housing, and seniors’ housing. This means updating housing policies across the OCP for clarity and consistency with the HNA.

“All cities are required to make these updates – but because our OCP is still quite new, we are well-positioned to respond since it is already largely consistent with provincial requirements,” said Guidi. “Overall, the changes will be fairly minor as a result of having planned well for the decades ahead.”

The revised growth scenario estimates that Kelowna will require 45,000 new housing units between 2021 and 2041 to meet population growth and existing unmet need. Since the current OCP has capacity to accommodate this growth, the revised growth scenario will not require changes to future land use designations.

Residents can learn about the draft amendments and share their thoughts over the coming weeks. The proposed amendments will then be refined and presented to Council for consideration in the fall of 2025, followed by a public hearing.

In the coming year, the City will also review its capital plans and financing strategies to support infrastructure development and enhance housing affordability. These steps will further strengthen Kelowna’s ability to manage growth while providing housing options for current and future residents.

For more information about the proposed updates to the OCP and to share feedback on what’s proposed, visit getinvolved.kelowna.ca.