The goal is to see more housing built “given the urgency of the affordable housing crisis in the community,” said a recent county report.
Lambton County’s offer of seed money for new affordable housing has propagated five potential projects in Sarnia.
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County council approved an initiative in 2023 to provide up to $200,000 each to community groups exploring affordable housing projects. The money is aimed at helping pay for feasibility studies, surveys, planning fees, environmental assessments and other steps needed to launch projects.
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The goal is to see more housing built “given the urgency of the affordable housing crisis in the community,” said a recent county report.
“Of the five projects that applied, four of them were already on our radar,” said Melisa Johnson, the county’s housing services manager.
Johnson is pleased with the number of projects that came forward and said funding is still available.
“We still have $206,000 remaining for 2023 and 2024,” she said. “So, hopefully we can get another project or two.”
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Habitat for Humanity Sarnia-Lambton has been approved for $100,000 in county seed funding for its plan to build five tiny homes at 236 Christina St. S.
A proposal by the Inn of the Good Shepherd to develop a 40- to 45-unit building at 837 Exmouth St., received $200,000 and a Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church proposal, for a project on its property at 1331 Murphy Rd., also received $200,000 from the county.
Vision ’74 Inc. received $200,000 in seed funding for a proposal for a 40 to 60-unit affordable and supportive housing project at 799 London Rd.
Heather Martin, CEO with Vision ’74 Inc., said the property at London Road became available for sale because of the work by a group of local Rotary Club members who have been looking at locations for housing projects.
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“Vision stepped forward to purchase the property so that the opportunity did not pass us by,” Martin said in an email. “We are currently in the exploratory phase of potential uses. Nothing has been arrived at, at this early stage.”
Johnson said a surprise on the list is a proposal from the Alexander Mackenzie Housing Co-operative at 1625 Afton Court to add up to 22 units to the existing co-op housing property.
It received $94,000 in county seed funding.
“We’ve had a partnership with them,” including providing some rent supplements for units, “but we didn’t realize expanding on their property was within their vision,” Johnson said. “It was a surprise and a very pleasant surprise.”
If all five of the projects receiving county seed funding end up moving ahead, they could add between 152 and 177 new housing units in Sarnia, the county report said.
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Several of the projects are expected to seek financial help from government affordable housing programs if they move ahead. The five projects are all at different stages of development.
The county also is pursuing potential affordable housing projects beyond those being explored by other community groups.
That includes seeking re-zoning of available county-owned land on Kathleen Avenue as well as working with a consulting group to come up with a strategic plan for developing new affordable housing, Johnson said.
A report on that process is expected to go to county council in February, she said.
In November, the county said it was working with Flourish, a consulting company created by Ontario supportive housing provider Indwell, to assess several potential locations for supportive housing developments.
Facing a shortage of affordable and supportive housing, and a rising number of people experiencing homelessness, county council in July declared providing affordable housing and shelter its No. 1 priority.
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