Rezoning approved, funds pending for Sarnia affordable housing project

Sarnia city council recently rezoned a pair of London Road properties, paving the way for more affordable units in the city mired in an affordable housing shortage.

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But when and if the proposal materializes, for four and six-storey buildings on the 799 and 811 London Rd. lots backing onto Germain Park, comes down to funding, said Heather Martin with charity Vision ’74 Inc.

“We are waiting for CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.) programs to evolve to a point of making them financially feasible,” she said about the collective 95-unit proposal she estimated could cost $40 million.

Lobbying continues with the federal and provincial government, and the County of Lambton, to get the needed funding, she said.

“At the moment, we haven’t been successful, but we continue that journey,” she said.

A similar affordable housing development proposal involving Vision — through not-for-profit Wellington Ridge Developments — on St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church property on Murphy Road, also has been sitting in limbowaiting for funding to materialize, Martin said.

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That affordable housing — 80 per cent of average market rent — project received city council rezoning approval in 2021 and would include 46 units geared to women 60 and older.

Federal funding program changes requiring municipal and provincial governments to contribute have been part of the problem, Wellington Ridge’s Brian Mundt said earlier this year.

“The purse holder is the County (of Lambton)” Martin said.

“And until they recognize the non-profit sector as a solution to housing, our projects are going to sit.”

Vision also operates affordable housing units at its Wellington Flats apartments that opened in 2019 off Wellington Street.

City council Monday 8-1 approved rezoning for the London Road proposal, across from Copland Road, jointly pitched by Vision and Ohana Landinga transitional housing facility for youth.

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Each not-for-profit owns one of the land parcels, Martin said.

“Vision acquired the property to the south of (Ohana Landing) to make for a bigger footprint to allow a development to go ahead,” she said.

Both organizations are interested in creating more affordable housing in Sarnia, Martin said, where more than 200 people are chronically homeless and more than 900 are on a county waiting list for affordable housing.

But even the project’s location hasn’t been firmly agreed upon, she said.

“The site location is still also in discussions with the owners of Ohana Landing and the best use of that property,” she said. “We are working collaboratively to move this project forward.”

An Ohana Landing spokesperson didn’t immediately return a call Tuesday requesting comment.

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Martin is also part of a group pitching a supportive housing project for Sarnia’s Victoria Street parking lot, before city council last month backed away from donating the property amid community objections.

With that project apparently off the table, there may be an opportunity for the London Road proposal to get funding, Martin said.

“We see an opportunity for us to step forward and help the county achieve their numbers by implementing our programs.”

The London Road location is centrally located, close to amenities, has a bus stop out front, and the park behind, she said, calling it ideal for families.

She thanked council for approving the rezoning that called for 0.75 parking spaces a unit.

That’s well below the 1.5-spaces-a-unit rule in the city’s current zoning bylawbut matches better with rules in other municipalitiesand is actually more than what’s been required at Wellington Flats, where demand has been minimal because the residents largely don’t have cars, said city planner Max Williams.

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They are “very grateful and respectful that city council is open to making variances around what is policy and what makes most sense for our community,” Martin said. “If we want to continue to look at infill projects inside the city and not sprawl outside onto farmers’ fields, then we need to be creative around things such as parking.”

Only Coun. Terry Burrell didn’t vote for the rezoning, over concerns about the parking shortage he worries will result in people parking on adjacent streets, creating friction among neighbors.

Council, meanwhile, also unanimously approved rezoning for a 50-unit, three-storey County of Lambton affordable housing project for parkland on Kathleen Avenue.

“We’re very pleased that they are moving that one forward,” Martin said.

The estimated $16.5-million project also includes office space for March of Dimes, and is one of several affordable housing projects the county has been eyeing.

Lambton County council has made addressing the affordable housing shortage it’s top priority.

County of Lambton officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

-with files from Paul Morden
[email protected]
@tylerkula

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