Supportive housing seed money program idea welcomed

A Lambton County proposal to offer up to $500,000 for affordable housing projects could make a big impact, a member with a Sarnia-Lambton group seeking to build several supportive housing projects in the community says.

“Because we recognize that if any project (is going) to happen, it’s going to need a little bit of research, some soil testing,” and potentially costs associated with rezoning applications, said John DeGroot.

Lambton’s housing services department recently announced a potential affordable housing seed funding program, providing up to $200,000 for individual affordable housing projects — up to a total of $500,000 — in 2023, should county council give approval Sept. 6.

Applications are open until Sept. 22 and successful applicants will be notified by mid-October, housing services officials said in a news release, noting the program would be for non-profit groups for residential projects with a minimum of five affordable housing units.

Details are at lambtononline.ca/seedfunding.

Degroot is one among a four-person group hoping to build 45-units of low-rise supportive housing on part of the Victoria Street parking lot in downtown Sarnia. city ​​council gave approval to donate at least part of the 126-space lot earlier this summer to the group that includes members with the Rotary Club of Sarnia and the Wellington Ridge Developments.

Group efforts since have included drumming up support and seed moneyto get the project, and others like it, off the ground.

About $100,000 has been raised so far, DeGroot said, noting the group recently met with downtown merchants about the Victoria Street lot idea.

“There were no NIMBY (not in my backyard) issues that were brought up,” he said. “In other words, everybody recognizes the need.”

One in five people seeking withdrawal management services at Bluewater Health in 2022 had no fixed address, officials said at a housing and homelessness summit in March.

For inpatient mental health registrations, it was one in 10.

Concerns still exist about maintaining enough parking downtown, DeGroot said, but the group doesn’t need the whole lot to make the project work.

“We don’t need nearly two acres,” he said. “We need a very small portion of that.”

The group is targeting five projects with below-market units for rent, as well as visits from social workers and organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, for people with mental health and substance dependency issues, DeGroot said.

Startup costs for studies and rezoning typically run $250,000 to $500,000, he said, based on conversations with Indwell, a charity that’s built supportive housing projects in other communities.

“So, we think it’s an absolutely great idea,” he said about the county proposal to offer money, noting his group plans to apply.

More fundraisers also are planned in the future, he said.

Money for the county program would come from a Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp’s housing accelerator fund for which the county has applied, said county social services general manager Valerie Colasanti.

If, unsuccessful funds would come from provincial sources and the county’s affordable housing reserve, she said.

A county council committee recently endorsed the seed money idea and hiring a project co-ordinator, to help move new affordable housing projects along. That also comes to council Sept. 6.

In July, council council declared affordable housing and shelter its No. 1 priority.

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