Indy Dhial wants a city-backed central intake system and dashboard for homelessness services

Civic Election   posted Oct 11, 2026 @ 12:59pm by   KelownaNow staff

Kelowna council candidate Indy Dhial says the city should provide a central intake system and a dashboard to connect people experiencing homelessness with the services that already exist.

"What I think we require is a dashboard and a central intake system provided by the city," Dhial said Saturday at the KelownaNow All Candidate Forum at the Kelowna Event Centre.

Moderator Renee Merrifield had asked what the city's role would be in the system Dhial proposed, what it would cost and how it would differ from what providers do now. Dhial said the city cannot create the process on its own, and that non-profit programs are already supporting people. He said the city might provide the space, while advocating to the province for funding.

The goal, he said, is to get people the help they need so "they then do not return to a tent or their car or a wet house where they will relapse." The intake program would find them entry housing and plan what the next year looks like, "whether it's work, whether it's food," he said.

In a KelownaNow candidate questionnaire, Dhial wrote that the city "should not try to replace existing service providers," but should "make the system work better" by connecting outreach, shelters, treatment, mental-health supports, housing and employment services. He wrote that people who are ready could rebuild routine and skills through work "such as park clean-up and community beautification."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UandUMDPz8

Asked what the city would give up by using city-owned land for attainable housing, Dhial said the city has to assess what land it has and whether it makes sense to hang on to it long-term. He said much of the affordable housing built so far has come from partnerships between the city, the province and the federal government, and that any decision needs public input. "It can't be just us sitting around a table and saying this is a good idea," he said.

On public safety, Dhial said outreach programs need to expand beyond Rutland to areas such as Glenmore, and suggested satellite police stations for increased visibility. "In the mall, we know there's a high theft that starts in September, year over year," he said.

Dhial said he has lived in Kelowna his entire life and is a father of two. He said he started in telemarketing at Shaw Cable and left as a regional sales manager, then went back to school for early childhood education. He said he began an eight-child program in his own home, and now has two child care centres in Rutland.

He said he is president of the OKGN Sports and Cultural Society, which hosts free youth camps, and sits on the boards of Rutland Youth Soccer and the Uptown Rutland Business Association, among others. He received 5,020 votes in the 2022 council race, according to 2022 local election results.

In his questionnaire, Dhial wrote that his view on homelessness and addiction has changed. "I once thought enforcement was the main answer," he wrote. Through his work with the Uptown Rutland Business Association and conversations with the RCMP, the unhoused community, businesses and service providers, he wrote, "I've learned enforcement alone won't solve it."

He also wrote that he would work to identify the biggest delays businesses face with the city and set clear standards for permits, approvals and development applications.

"A lot of what drives me comes from wanting my kids to have the same opportunity to build a good life here that I had," he wrote.

Each candidate at Saturday's four-hour forum gave a short introduction and then took questions from Merrifield, which were based on the candidates' written questionnaire answers.

Kelowna voters will elect a mayor, eight councillors and four school trustees. General voting day is Saturday, Oct. 17, and the remaining advance voting days are Oct. 14, 15 and 16.

For more on Indy Dhial:

Website: indydhial4kelowna.com

Facebook: facebook.com/indy.dhial

Instagram: instagram.com/indydhial

LinkedIn: Indy Dhial

Watch the full forum: See every candidate at the KelownaNow All Candidate Forum. Indy Dhial's segment starts at 2:15:27: youtube.com/live/3klb5ZAYqZE

Watch election night live: Jim Csek and Renee Merrifield of Beyond the Ballot host Election 2026 Decision Desk, streaming live on The Really Big Show. They'll cover results from every municipal election across the region, plus some of Canada's major cities, on municipal election night, Saturday, Oct. 17, and again for the provincial election on Saturday, Oct. 24. Watch at youtube.com/@thereallybigshow.

By: Kelowna Now; KelownaNow Staff

Source: Indy Dhial wants a city-backed central intake system and dashboard for homelessness services