Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
An important story that has fallen under the radar in late summer is the news of a coalition of Hamilton non-profit housing providers has received the support of city councillors in its mission to build 3,000 affordable units in the city over the next three years.
For more details, please continue reading below…
Hamilton City Council recently endorsed the Hamilton is Home Coalition (through the advocacy and great work of Councillor Nann) which aims to build 3000 affordable housing units in Hamilton within the next three years.
The Hamilton is Home group is looking to finance the bulk of the estimated $1.12-billion plan via the federal government’s National Housing Strategy as a coalition working together, rather than apply for separate funding, creating a unified front to meet local needs.
Medora Uppal, director of operations for the YWCA told the Spectator that “Collectively, we have the expertise, track record and sites to get started now and follow through”.
The YWCA and a host of other affordable-housing developers — including Indwell, Good Shepherd, East Kiwanis, Victoria Park and Sacajawea — hope to shrink the waiting list for subsidized units.
Traditionally, non-profits compete for the same funding dollars – usually meaning that one or two organizations receive funding while others have to wait. Graham Cubitt, a director at Indwell, told the emergency and services committee that the “status quo” is not doing the job.
At the suggestion of Councillor Nann, the partners met this past winter and discussed how to tackle the housing crisis in Hamilton together.
According to the Spec, the coalition aims to submit funding applications tailored to each agency’s expertise. Sacajawea, for instance, specializes in housing for Indigenous people.
“We’re not stepping on each other’s toes; we’re building on each other’s strengths,” Cubitt told the Spectator.
In the same article, Councillor Nann indicated one reason to support the coalition’s proposal is a long “stagnant” wait list for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units.
In Hamilton, over 5,000 individuals have applied to get into subsidized units. Another 1,110 or so are waiting to transfer from one RGI unit to another.
The coalition’s role in expediting affordable units is essential, Nann told the Spec, noting the city didn’t even meet its previous goal of roughly 300 new units per year.
“From that perspective, it’s the only option the municipality has to deliver the number of units that we need to address the problem of housing affordability and homelessness here in Hamilton.”
CityHousing, a coalition partner, operates about 7,000 of Hamilton’s 13,800 social-housing units. This stock faces a capital repair backlog of about $222 million that’s expected to hit $632 million in 10 years.
The “full-court press” for affordable units also coincides with a steady rise in house prices and rental rates.
In recent years, rents have increased an average of 4.1 per cent annually — and have increased dramatically during the pandemic.
The collective has identified more than 50 sites — which members own or could “secure … very quickly” — to build affordable housing, Uppal told the Spec.
The umbrella approach would be a “very attractive proposition” for Ottawa, which has struggled to allocate housing strategy dollars to viable projects, said Edward John in the same article.
When they met on August 17, the committee approved Nann’s motion to support the coalition in principle and have staff report back on what resources to dedicate to the effort.
Questions or Concerns?
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