CityHousing Hamilton has $5.7M plan to bring 476 empty units back online
CityHousing Hamilton hopes to spend $5.7 million to repair 476 units that are sitting vacant because of their condition.
Those units, which include apartments, townhouses, semis and singles, have been empty for six months to three years, CEO Adam Sweedland said.
The repair backlog is a product of unit turnover competing with other demands, such as improving security and day-to-day maintenance, Sweedland said.
It comes at the expense of other priorities."
On Monday, city councillors endorsed CityHousing's request for $5.7 million to fund the repair work, which is to be done by November 2024.
That's just under $12,000 a unit, which is a lower cost than building anew or buying buildings to expand stock, Coun. Cameron Kroetsch said.
By comparison, it costs $500,000 to $600,000 to build units and $150,000 to $250,000 apiece to buy existing ones, said Kroetsch, who's a CityHousing board member.
You can see how much more cost-effective it is for us to replace the units right now."
Coun. Nrinder Nann, who is president of the CityHousing board, noted a potential funding formula for the $5.7 million that doesn't tap the tax levy is in the works for April.
The cash-strapped municipal social-housing provider, which has about 7,000 units, has struggled with repair backlogs for years.
CityHousing is working on a comprehensive vacancy management plan to ensure an acceptable pace" of unit turnover and avoidance of backlogs, Sweedland noted.
Meanwhile, the provider and city are reviewing the provider's annual operating funding to make sure it's appropriately resourced."
The 476 units needing repair are among 831 overall that are vacant for various reasons.
For instance, 126 are off-line for special projects, including asbestos abatement or larger capital repair efforts.
Another 229, a figure that fluctuates, are vacant units in the process of being re-rented after tenants moved out.
A number of units have also been sold, or are off-line for redevelopment, including 91 townhouses awaiting demolition at Jamesville for the construction of a denser mixed-income community.
CityHousing must replace units in new developments. Currently, the total active stock is 6,931, 128 short of the 7,059 the municipal housing provider had when it began redevelopment plans in 2009.
As it stands, future projects are expected to add 231 units - 128 replacements and 103 new - bringing the total to 7,162, Sweedland noted.
Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com