Perth group works to save affordable housing project

It’s one step forward and two steps back and never give up for the multi-year campaign by the Church of St James the Apostle to create truly affordable housing in Perth.

St. James has been actively advocating for an affordable housing project, badly needed in the town, since 2021. Instead of going it alone the parish enlisted well-known Perth citizens in a steering committee under the name Caring Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP).

In consultations with the town council and staff, the committee developed a project, and the town identified a specific lot for the project.

Early last year, the town provided the CHIP team with advice about how to apply for the land that would be gifted, with the waiving of development fees. A positive spirit of co-operation continued until two meetings in December.

“We felt that we were being treated as strangers, even while members of council smiled and spoke politely to us,” summed up the Rev. Canon Ken Davis following the second meeting.

The council decided it would take no further action on affordable housing in the town until it consulted Lanark County Council.

Further, it said the land it had identified last summer as suitable for the project and had agreed to do preparatory work on it should instead be put out to anyone interested through a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Comments by Mayor Judy Brown and some councillors suggested reluctance to gift the land. During the municipal election campaign in 2022 Mayor Brown had promised to identify suitable town-owned land for the project.

Other municipalities within the county, Mississippi Mills (Almonte) and Smiths Falls did gift land for a nominal fee that has resulted in expanded affordable housing, including the 35-unit project supported by St. John the Evangelist in Smiths Falls.

Brown said she intended to have a housing strategy meeting for council and staff in 2024. The CHIP committee members vowed to do their own strategizing in the hope that obstacles can be overcome.

St. James’s commitment to support affordable housing has its roots in another cause. In 2015, the parish rose to a challenge to help settle Syrian refugees. Back then, Canon Davis said, he was approached “by more than a few people in this town with critical comments like, ‘Why can’t we do more to help people right here? There are lots of people in our own community who need our help.’ They were right in saying so.”

Thus began St. James’s challenge to develop affordable housing, at the same time reflecting the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s priority for community outreach. It began with a modest vision to create three units a year for three years. It turned out that the land identified by the town was zoned for 10 to 12 units. The CHIP group happily expanded the scope of their project.

Carebridge Community Support, the social services organization in Lanark County with a proven track record in developing and managing affordable housing, came onboard as the potential owner and operator.

Numerous formal and informal meetings were held with town staff and councillors—always collaborative and positive in tone—until December.

What happened?

Comments by the mayor about the need for “fiscal responsibility” and by a councillor about determining the value of the land before sending out any RFP suggested possible second thoughts about gifting the land.

Councillors cited a decision by Lanark County in November to issue its own request for proposals (RPF) in the amount of $1.5 million to build, own and operate affordable housing in the county.

Emily Hollington, the county director of social services, told Crosstalk the RFP was not intended to influence or in any way affect the Perth project. It was intended solely to encourage more affordable housing. “Hopefully they can get something going there.”

As it happens, the county’s RFP fits the Perth project quite well. But CHIP can’t apply for it until Carebridge owns the land and has completed surveys.

A likely issue is confusion over what constitutes “affordable housing.” For-profit developers who attended one of the December meetings have been claiming to offer affordable rents in their projects. But “affordable” rates for developer projects run in the $1,500 to $1,800 range, beyond the reach of the more than 700 people on the county waiting list.

Councillor Isabel McRae tried to convince her colleagues that the CHIP project is quite different, providing housing for the most vulnerable at below market rates. This is often 30 per cent of a household’s monthly income. She has offered advice to the CHIP group and help to salvage the project.