What began as a grassroots effort to support Penticton\u2019s homeless population has evolved into a model being considered by communities across B.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Launched in 2016, the 100 More Homes Penticton initiative started with a simple goal: house 100 vulnerable individuals by July 2018, said Julie Czeck, the city\u2019s general manager of public safety and partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis simple but powerful mission sparked a movement,\u201d she said at the most recent meeting of Penticton City Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday, it\u2019s a formal collective of more than 40 organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naomi Woodland, Housing Initiatives Director with United Way BC, said other municipalities are taking notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s significant interest in what we\u2019re doing\u2014especially in reducing visible homelessness and building a safety net,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2022, the City of Penticton and partner organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), formally recognizing the group\u2019s role in addressing chronic homelessness. United Way serves as the initiative\u2019s \u201cbackbone organization,\u201d coordinating across governments, healthcare, non-profits, and people with lived experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis has built trust, aligned strategies, and created a shared vision for long-term solutions,\u201d said Czeck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initiative\u2019s leadership includes a steering committee of residents, non-profits, government, and business leaders. Regular updates and success stories are shared publicly to ensure transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanya Behardien, co-chair and executive director of 100 More Homes, said homelessness has many root causes \u2014 job loss, health issues, family breakdown, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With housing costs soaring across Canada, Penticton faces a major shortage of affordable and supportive housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have long wait lists and very few transitional options,\u201d said Behardien. \u201cThat\u2019s why the voices of people with lived experience are central to everything we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behardien emphasized that no single organization can solve homelessness alone. \u201cCollaboration is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The City of Penticton has been a consistent supporter, helping shift the initiative\u2019s focus toward systemic change and prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, the group expanded its public outreach, hosting forums and engagement sessions, organizing 500-plus volunteer hours for community cleanups, and planning a temporary winter shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A point-in-time count conducted in April 2025 revealed a 17% increase in homelessness since 2023. Indigenous people remain significantly overrepresented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2023, 45% of unhoused residents were unsheltered; that dropped slightly to 40% in 2025. Without the temporary winter shelter, unsheltered homelessness would have risen by 60%, said Woodland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nationally, unsheltered homelessness has risen 109% in two years; regionally, it\u2019s up 9%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese numbers highlight the need for both emergency and long-term housing,\u201d said Woodland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 20% of those experiencing long-term homelessness in Penticton have lived in the community their entire lives. Most have been unhoused for over a year, often due to health issues, family breakdown, or eviction. Eviction due to insufficient income is the leading cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Substandard housing and substance use are also major contributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Troubling trends include a tripling of youth homelessness, from 6% to 18%, and a rise in senior homelessness from 9% to 17%. Forty percent of unhoused individuals first became homeless as youth, and the same percentage grew up in foster care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis shows how early intervention could make a life-changing difference,\u201d said Woodland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interior Health staff now visit shelters and supportive housing sites to offer on-site healthcare\u2014partnerships made possible by 100 More Homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Penticton has also joined the BC Alignment Project, a network of 12 communities sharing data and strategies on homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The City contributes $85,000 annually to 100 More Homes. Another $45,000 comes from in-kind partner support, and an additional $35,000 is proposed for the 2026 budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City council received the latest report for information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 This article was originally published by the Penticton Herald<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cThis simple but powerful mission sparked a movement.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":635,"featured_media":7638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"guid":"","source":"","byline":"","published":"","updated":"","_infotelid":"","_prepressid":"","_multisite_post_sync":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1680,541,543],"tags":[],"region":[322,323,324,325],"class_list":["post-7655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-local","category-topnews","region-kamloops","region-kelowna","region-penticton","region-vernon"],"blocksy_meta":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/7655\/100-more-homes-recognized-for-assisting-pentictons-homeless\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"100 More Homes recognized for assisting Penticton\u2019s homeless","url":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/7655\/100-more-homes-recognized-for-assisting-pentictons-homeless\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/7655\/100-more-homes-recognized-for-assisting-pentictons-homeless\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/inhome-IMG_3052.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/inhome-IMG_3052.jpeg"},"articleSection":"Featured","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Keith Lacey"}],"creator":["Keith Lacey"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"iNhome","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2025-10-15T18:15:00Z","datePublished":"2025-10-15T18:15:00Z","dateModified":"2025-10-15T18:15:00Z"},"rendered":"