With more people flocking to St. Thomas, two affordable housing projects will add much needed homes to serve the city’s growing population.
Two affordable housing projects are moving ahead in St. Thomas, both of which politicians say are badly needed to serve the city’s expected population boom.
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Construction of a five-storey, 82-unit building at 220 Highview Dr. is set to break ground next month, and another project at 21 Kains St. will add 40 rental units upon completion to help address St. Thomas’s need for more housing.
“We’re pretty excited,” Coun. Jeff Kohler said about the projects. “We’ve made a commitment to focus on that (more affordable housing) and even going back to election time, the mayor and pretty much all members of council committed to as many housing units as possible.”
Mayor Joe Preston shared Kohler’s enthusiasm for the projects.
“I think it’s incredible,” Preston said, adding affordable units are especially important with single-detached home construction having slowed.
The 82-unit apartment complex on Highview Drive is owned and will be operated by Eastwood Housing Corp. The St. Thomas-based company has been involved in affordable housing since 1982, its website states.
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“It’s a long overdue project that’s needed for affordable housing, period,” said Jon McCurry, Eastwood’s director of operations.
The apartments are a mix of studio, and one- and two-bedroom units. McCurry said he couldn’t publicize the rents, but some would be less than 80 per cent of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s market rate, others would be even less, at 70 per cent of the market rate, and there’d be a few that are full market value.
Construction is projected to be completed by late spring or early summer of 2026, McCurry said.
Project Tiny Hope, the affordable housing project on Kain Street, is a collaboration between YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin, Doug Tarry Homes and Sanctuary Homes.
“The creation of new YWCA rental units will be inclusive to diverse populations from all walks of life,” the YWCA’s website states. “A mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom rental units will accommodate adults, youth and families.”
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A St. Thomas builder, Doug Tarry Homes, is involved with both projects, and vice-president of construction Shellie Chowns said the company was “honored” to be working with its partners.
A demonstration home is under construction at Project Tiny Hope, and all units are scheduled to be completed in a year and a half, according to Chowns.
St. Thomas’s need for more housing is due to a manufacturing boom driven in large part by the planned Volkswagen electric-vehicle battery plant that’s expected to employ 3,000 people and create as many as 30,000 spinoff jobs, many of which would also be in the local auto industry.
The city’s expected population spike was detailed in a report by Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. – a Mississauga-based economic consulting firm – that came out in June. Initial estimates were the city’s population, now at 43,000, would increase to 65,100 from 47,500 between 2026 and 2051. After considering the VW plant, the projection changed from 48,600 in 2026 to 79,500 in 2051.
To support growth of that magnitude, the report underscores the city’s need for more houses.
Initially, the report estimated 9,400 homes would have to be built between 2021 and 2051 to keep up with population growth. That figure jumped to 15,300 following the firm’s reassessment.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
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