Hamilton coalition aims to build 3,000 affordable units in three years
A coalition of Hamilton non-profit housing providers has enlisted the support of city councillors in its mission to build 3,000 affordable units in three years.
Hamilton is Home is angling to finance the bulk of the estimated $1.12-billion plan via the federal government's National Housing Strategy.
Rather than apply for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) funding in isolation, coalition members have decided on a united front.
Collectively, we have the expertise, track record and sites to get started now and follow through," Medora Uppal, director of operations at YWCA Hamilton, told councillors Monday.
The YCWA 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.
The status quo" isn't doing the job, Graham Cubitt, director of projects and development at Indwell, told the emergency and community services committee.
Non-profits are collegial," but always compete for the same dollars," he noted.
This past winter, the partners - at Coun. Nrinder Nann' suggestion - discussed tackling the housing crisis in unison.
Under the same banner, 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 said.
A long stagnant" wait list for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units is one reason to support the coalition's proposal, Nann told The Spectator.
In Hamilton, about 5,100 applicants hope 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 said, 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.
Hamilton is Home's proposal comes as encampments of people experiencing homelessness form on city boulevards and green spaces.
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 - twice the rate of inflation, a city staff report notes. Rentals.ca says the average rent for a Hamilton one-bedroom unit in July was $1,489 and $2,170 for a two-bedroom.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed those on the edge of housing precarity and poverty into the abyss," Uppal told councillors.
The collective has identified more than 50 sites - which members own or could secure ... very quickly" - to build affordable housing, she said.
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, the city's housing director.
Monday's committee approved Nann's motion to support the coalition in principle and have staff report back on what resources to dedicate to the effort.
Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com