St. Thomas is moving forward with a new affordable housing project, as the city contributes $2.7 million along with a piece of land for a 40-unit development next to the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin.
The planned three-storey building at 53 Hiawatha St. aims to assist seniors and young adults, and will also feature a dedicated space for Indigenous gatherings and programs.
Mayor Joe Preston stated that this initiative showcases a strategy that has enabled the city to obtain funding for an increasing number of affordable housing projects.
“We’ve always tried to keep one or two projects ready to go in a box, with land or cooperative partners like the YWCA, so that if funds become available from the province or federal government, we can say, ‘St. Thomas is ready to go,'” Preston said.
The new development will be constructed on city-owned land adjacent to the existing YWCA property.
“Most communities have little pieces of land that are too small or too large for something,” Preston explained. “In this case, when we discovered that land was sitting there, we just didn’t know what we would use it for. It’s a really misshapen piece of land close to our downtown.”
“We got together with our friends at YWCA again and let them talk about how high we could make the building, where we could put it, how much parking would be needed, that type of thing. It makes for a great community project,” he said.
There’s no set timeline yet for when construction will start.
The proposed housing development will be adjacent to the YWCA’s already-existing property at 53 Hiawatha St. (Submitted by YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin)
Housing Focused on Seniors and Young Adults
Approximately 75 percent of the single-bedroom units will prioritize seniors while 25 percent will be designated for individuals under age 30, according to YWCA executive director Lindsay Rice.
A fifth of these units will be fully accessible.
“We know that both of those aged categories really face stigma at accessing housing within the traditional rental market, so we wanted to create those opportunities,” Rice said.
“There can be really great opportunities between seniors and young adults for supporting one another with different stages of their life, whether that be helping carry some groceries, lending some advice or sharing stories with each other.”
No timeline or start date has been proposed yet for this project, Rice noted.
Preparing for Future Projects
Around 75 percent of the one-bedroom units will focus on seniors while the remaining 25 percent are aimed at people under age 30 according to Lindsay Rice from YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin.
One-fifth of these units will offer full accessibility.
“We know that both of those aged categories really face stigma at accessing housing within the traditional rental market so we wanted to create those opportunities,” Rice said.</P
“There can be really great opportunities between seniors and young adults for supporting one another with different stages of their life whether that be helping carry some groceries lending some advice or sharing stories with each other.”</P
The project follows Project Tiny Hope another affordable housing effort led by YWCA which opened in October where sixteen residents have already moved into their tiny homes while more residents are expected this summer.
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Take a look inside affordable tiny homes in St. Thomas
Project Tiny Hope comes from a partnership involving YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin Sanctuary Homes and Doug Terry Homes providing an alternative approach towards traditional affordable supportive housing methods CBC News had an opportunity see inside these homes during their grand opening speaking with Doug Terry Shellie Chowns from Doug Terry Ltd.
“We want to be a community where as we grow most vulnerable people aren’t left behind,” stated Rice.
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Preston remarked how city council has played an essential role in progressing projects further along.
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“I have best council world who genuinely views housing as municipal responsibility,” he added “There’s feeling among us hey let’s stop holding meetings start doing things.”</ P
