VIDEO: Why Kelowna's tiny home village will not bring in rail trail campers

There's a common misconception that the people who will be living in STEP Place (the tiny home village) on Crowley Ave will come directly from the notorious encampment that's formed along the nearby rail trail.

Most of the residents, who will be moving in, starting this week, will not come from there.

"The majority of the people coming to this site will be coming from our shelters," said the City of Kelowna's Colleen Cornock, "because that would be the best match."

Cornock explained that they will be looking for people ready for programs which residents of STEP Place will be encouraged to take advantage of.

"They're going to be learning cooking skills and life skills right here on site," she said. "So there has to be a willingness and a desire to able to do that."

The idea is that bringing those people into the housing on Crowley Ave. will create space in shelters, which in turn means more availability for some of the people currently camping along the rail trail.

"It's all part of an overall approach," Cornock explained.

"To have vacancies happen in shelter which will then provide opportunities for those that are sleeping outdoors."

She said there's been a really good response from people living and working in the area.

"We've explained how the process and that flow will be taking place," said Cornock.

Meanwhile, the second housing location recently announced on Highway 97, has its own misconceptions.

The second phase of the current BC Housing initiative in Kelowna will also feature 60 beds.

But it's not going to look a lot like the Crowley Ave. location.

"Unlike STEP Place, they are not individual pods," said Cornock.

"The Trailside location," she said. "Its workforce style that have been renovated, so trailers that have been renovated with individual units."

And Cornock said there will be beautification.

"The trailers that are on site will eventually either be painted or have wraps go around them."

She said both sites will end up with things like plants and planters.

"Both operators are super keen to make sure that the location is beautiful for the residents, the staff and the community around them."

People will be moving into the John Howard Society operated STEP Place on Crowley Ave this week.

The trailside operation which is still a few weeks away from accepting residents, will be operated by the Vernon-based Turning Points Collaborative Society.

A third location in this series of BC Housing projects is coming, but it's still in the concept stages.

"We haven't picked the exact site, but there's lots of conversation about what a third site might look like," said Cornock.

"We're eager to be able to provide another location."