Government initiative targets growing demand for homes
Housing efforts in Chatham-Kent will receive a $10-million investment from the federal government. The funding, part of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund, aims to increase housing starts to address the region’s housing shortage.
According to a report from Chatham Voice, the funding was announced as part of a $17-million initiative by Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk, alongside Lakeshore mayor Tracey Bailey and Chatham-Kent mayor Darrin Canniff. Lakeshore is set to receive $7 million from the fund.
Canniff acknowledged the work that led to the approval. “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work by our staff and the federal government,” he said. “It’s going to help a lot of projects move forward to help solve the problem of affordable housing.”
The funding approval came during the second round of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation-administered initiative, after Chatham-Kent’s initial application was unsuccessful in 2023. As a condition of the agreement, the municipality must increase building permits by at least 10% over three years.
Ray Harper, Chatham-Kent’s director of municipal housing development, noted that the number of people experiencing homelessness in the region increased last year. More than 1,400 individuals are currently on the waitlist for affordable housing. “We’ve never seen numbers this high… ever,” Harper said.
The funds will support various initiatives, including permitting four-storey additional dwelling units, establishing an online building-permit and land-use-planning dashboard, identifying high-priority sites, and creating an affordable housing strategy. The investment will also support the development of an e-permit system and a housing needs assessment.
Several housing projects in Chatham-Kent are nearing completion. Harper noted that a 17-unit affordable housing project in Blenheim and a 22-unit rent-supplemented complex in Ridgetown are expected to be ready for occupancy in March.
Additionally, construction has resumed on a 27-unit modular housing project for seniors at 101 McNaughton Ave. West in Chatham. Work had stalled after the original contractor failed to deliver, but Jayden Construction has since taken over, assessing the partially completed structure’s safety.
Jayden Construction has also been tasked with completing the $3.8-million, 50-unit tiny cabin shelter complex on Hyslop Street in Chatham. The site is currently being prepared, with completion anticipated by June.
What do you think will make the biggest impact on housing affordability in Chatham-Kent? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
