BC announces $24M to build student housing at Okanagan College in Penticton

The BC government is spending $24 million on student housing at the Okanagan College campus in Penticton. The province promises the student housing with 101 beds will be affordable, according to a Ministry of Post-Secondary Education media release issued today July 10. The housing project is expected to be complete by the fall of 2026. The province is covering $23.5 million of the cost with Okanagan College chipping in $500,000. “Having an affordable place to live and the supports that come through student housing is going to be a game-changer for learners in the South Okanagan and throughout the Interior who want to attend our Penticton campus,” Neil Fassina, president of Okanagan College, said in the release. The ministry said the building will have 101 beds in 89 units allowing more students to live on campus for secure housing, to experience campus life, dedicate more time to their schooling and save money on renting student housing. “Secure, stable and affordable housing is at the heart of helping students thrive, while also reducing demand on the local market for rental housing,” Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development, said in the release. “Having more housing available at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus will allow more students to access education with fewer barriers.” There are three other Okanagan College housing projects underway. Students will be moving into new housing on the college's campuses in Kelowna, Vernon and Salmon Arm this fall. To contact a reporter for this story, email Bailey Zimmer mailto:bzimmer@infonews.ca  or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .