The innovative project, initiated by St. James, is led by a volunteer team of community leaders who have been able to generate broad community support.

Claire Smith, the co-chair with St. James’s David Kroetsch of Community Housing Project Perth (CHIP) says more than $150,000 has been raised towards the goal of $300,000.

It represents the grassroots portion of the $4.5 million total cost. Major funding of $2.5 million came from Lanark County whose waiting list has grown to about 460, including 300 in Perth. The town provided the land.

Smith is confident the goal will be reached “one handshake at a time.” The Perth and District Community Foundation has contributed $25,000, earmarked for an “Alongside Program” intended to offer support for household management to the new tenants. She emphasizes “how grateful we are to all the changemakers” – the donors who have made construction possible. The project is on track to open late this year.

In December, the Rev. Robert Camara replaced founding co-chair the Rev. Canon Ken Davis as rector of St. James after he retired. Calling CHIP a great outreach project, Camara looks forward to working with the steering committee to see it to completion.

“Our involvement and support is one way that we live out our baptismal promises to respect the dignity of every human being and loving our neighbour as ourselves.”

While CHIP characterizes grassroots donors as Changemakers, it recognizes “the village behind the building” as follows:

The Craftsmen, the Saumure Group of Companies with experience in building other affordable housing, “on- site daily, putting local hands to work to create high-quality, lasting homes for our neighbours.”

The Stewards: Carebridge Community Support will operate the building, ensuring that future tenants have the stability and support they need to thrive. Carebridge housing director Alison Newson says the project will help respond to a local crisis in which seniors, single parents and residents with disabilities struggle to secure permanent homes.

The Pillars: The support of Lanark County and the Town of Perth “proving that local government is committed to solving the housing shortage.”

CHIP might have added a fifth component — their own diverse Leadership group. In addition to co-chairs Claire Smith and David Kroetsch:

Stewart MacNabb, former director of finance at Carebridge, who is CHIP’s financial advisor.

Mac Girouard, former director of operations at Carebridge, became CHIP’s social media advisor, running an active Facebook presence as well as other effective outreach.

Linda Chaim, CHIP’s secretary, representative of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), maintains strong relations with community partners.

Brian Perkin, former owner of the Perth radio station, who is in charge of communications.

The building at 63 Halton Street will offer a mix of rent geared to income (RGI) and affordable rental units. Affordable rent is set at 80 per cent of market rates. RGI rent is based on income and other eligibility factors. Tenants for RGI units will be selected from Lanark County Social Services’ wait list. Affordable rent placements will come from Carebridge’s own wait list.

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The kitchen required a complete overhaul, particularly because it lacked insulation and had an infestation of mice. The downstairs wood floors have significant issues with damage and splintering and are unable to be sanded in high traffic areas as they are worn down to the tongue and groove. There is no air conditioning.

The parish considered demolishing the rectory, but it was designated as a heritage building in Perth, so demolition was likely to be opposed. Renting and selling were also considered, but the best option for present was determined to be renovating the house for the new incumbent.

Parishioner Christine Erdos is a designer who offered to redesign the kitchen as a donation to the church. That just left the challenge of fundraising about $110,000 to pay for the rest of the renovation costs.

Parishioners Ray and Elaine Hook took up the challenge. Ray’s career in the military and Elaine was a nurse. “I retired young, but I still did probably 38 years in uniform and then took a series of civilian jobs,” which included development work, fundraising for universities and the Royal Military College Alumni Association, Ray told Perspective.

Elaine also had apt experience. “After a nursing career, I spent a lot of time in the not-for-profit sector,” including food banks. “So, we thought we were ideally suited, and we’re people of action,” she said.

They had the skills and also the motivation. During their working years, they had moved many times before finally retiring in Perth and beginning to attend St. James and coming to love the community they found there. “After 23 moves and nine different churches, St. James tops them all,” Ray said.

One of the places they had lived was England where they had toured historic churches. “When we came here, I thought, this is such a beautiful building,” he said. “So, I went to the council and the wardens and said, would you be willing to let me do tours of the church? Because I think it’s important that people get to know that, one, this church is open and welcoming, and two, that people see this building because of the historical significance of it. They supported me full on.”

Ray and Elaine also help with St. James monthly community dinners that the parish prepares as a free meal open to everyone and that usually draw about 100 people — those who may need a hot meal and those who want the company and social connection. The Hooks feel it is an important outreach.

Three years ago, Elaine was seriously injured a car accident. After her hospitalization, she had 10 weeks of recovery at home when she couldn’t get out at all. They have no family in Perth but were very moved by the ways that people in the congregation stepped in to help and care for them. “We feel very strongly that congregation here is like family to us,” Elaine said. “And so, this was kind of our way of giving back for what they had done for us.”

They donated $10,000 to get the fundraising started, with $5,000 used as matching funds for any donation over $100, and they are using their skills and experience to spearhead the fundraising effort with great success so far. Thanks to generosity in the parish, Ray was hopeful they would be halfway to their goal by the end of October.

The renovations are progressing, and they hope to have it all ready when their new incumbent, the Rev. Robert Camara, arrives in December.

Update: Contacted in early December, Ray was pleased to share that they had reached close to 75 percent of their $100,000 goal. He and Elaine had donated another $5,000 for matching gifts as well to help the project cross the finish line.

How you can help

Anyone who would like to donate to the project can go to the St. James website: https://www.stjamesperth.ca/support-st-james

E-transfer: stjamesperth@gmail.com

Online donations to St. James Church Perth using Canada Helps: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/27635

By mail: St. James Anglican Church, 12 Harvey St. Perth, Ontario K7H 1W4

In all cases, please ensure that you direct the donation for Rectory Renovations.

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Shovels were literally in the ground and foundations were laid in September at the Halton Street site in the town.

David Kroetsch is chair of the St. James Outreach Committee and co-chair of the steering committee of the Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP).  He is confident that, thanks to the experience and expertise of Carebridge Community Support and the Saumure Group contractor, the building will be welcoming tenants next year, probably in late summer.

More than 300 residents in Perth are waiting for a safe, affordable home. Across Lanark County, more than 600 people struggle to find housing within their means.

Kroetsch says the county, whose $2.5 million capital investment made the project possible, has provided an additional $700,000 in Ontario government Last Mile Funding.

Claire Smith, co-chair of fundraising, says the campaign to raise $300,000 is close to the $100,000 mark. The initial $10,000 came from St. James.

She is optimistic the goal will be achieved with increased support during the last quarter of the year, usually the best quarter for charitable donations. One of two prospective large donors has pledged but not yet delivered support.

Potential donors are savvy, she says, often asking how much goes to the cause. “In our case, it’s 100 per cent.”

The project originated when the St. James outreach committee decided to focus on affordable housing but realized the way forward would require broad-based community support.

St. James reached out to recruit prominent members of the community and contacted Carebridge, the Lanark County non-profit that operates 225 units across 35 properties.

“We were amateurs,” Kroetsch says. “We heard about Carebridge and contacted them. We could not have done it without them.” The CHIP team convinced Perth town council to transfer the land at 63 Halton St, to Carebridge as owner and operator.

Kroetsch says Carebridge has been instrumental in overcoming the objections of “only a few people” by going to their homes, discussing their concerns and providing accurate information.  The site is 40 feet from the nearest private property and adjacent green space will not be encroached.

Donations: www.perthhousing.ca

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As the diocese’s goal of creating 125 affordable housing units has been reached and surpassed, attention has turned to making sure that the tenants are successfully housed and supported.

Christ Church Bells Corners is moving ahead with a support system for Hollyer House. “Our focus is the dignity of the resident,” says Archdeacon Monique Stone.

And even before sod is turned on its 15-unit residence, Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP) led by St. James the Apostle is planning for a team of “navigators” with lived experience to work alongside new tenants who need a helping hand with running a household.

Christ Church Bells Corners (CCBC) whose 35-unit Hollyer House opened last year, has established a residents support fund with initial funding of $4,000. (As of March, 11 of Hollyer’s 35 units had been rented.)

The fund allows CCBC to purchase items for residents such as linens and dish towels. The fund can be used for anything that is needed by a resident that is best purchased new rather than used.

As well, the parish has a residents support coordinator, Cath Seguin, who has been involved in the Hollyer project from the beginning. She is available to contact or be contacted by new tenants who are in need of help. An initial “welcome package” is provided to residents as they move in.

Counselling for the most vulnerable – usually those relocating from Cornerstone Housing for Women’s emergency shelter and Chysalis House shelter — is available from the Support Services division of the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre located on the ground floor of Hollyer House.

Tenants who come from the City of Ottawa’s social housing wait list have the added benefit of the support of a social worker.

In Perth, St. James the Apostle volunteers are hoping to break ground on CHIP’s project this year. The Rev. Canon Ken Davis has met with staff at the Table Community Food Centre who employ a group of “navigators” with lived experience to help clients access needed services.

He says the idea of an “alongsider ministry” is the echo from a Syrian refugee sponsorship program of which St. James and the diocese were huge supporters.

“Each family had an amazing team helping with everything from banking, language, healthcare and childcare.”

Stephanie Corrin, social justice and advocacy coordinator of The Table’s community food centre and colleagues have agreed to train teams of two screened volunteer “alongsiders” for each of the planned 15 units. Recruiting and training will begin once construction is well under way. The coordinator of the teams — and probably some volunteers — will be from St. James.

Corrin says her office is willing to work with volunteers, share experience and expertise, and be prepared to address and assist with any individual concerns that arise for the CHIP residents.

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The new arrivals generally fall into two groups. Many are Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who have been recruited for two-year contracts in local long-term care homes. These nurses are well educated, many with Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, and bring valuable experience in areas such as labour and delivery, intensive care, emergency room and cardiac catheterization labs. Here in Perth, they’re working as personal support workers while they seek to obtain their Ontario Nursing Registration qualifications.

Almost all are from India, the Philippines and Nigeria and are here alone, although a very small number have able to send for their spouses and children. According to current regulations, it may well be over a year before they can even apply be joined by their families. All of them have young children and understandably are heartbroken by this news.

Most of the other newcomers are refugee claimants, primarily from Ghana. Having initially arrived in Montreal, they quickly learned that without speaking French, there were no employment opportunities for them there while their refugee applications were being reviewed. Somehow word came to them that Perth is a small, quiet welcoming community where they could find work. Over last summer, it is estimated that about 40 Ghanains arrived in Perth. As well as supporting themselves here in Canada, the majority of these newcomers are also trying to send money home to their families in Ghana. Unfortunately, they were advised abroad to come to Canada alone to apply as refugees and that they’d be able to send for their families once the process was started. Sadly, that’s not the case, and they now anticipate being here without their spouses possibly for several years while the refugee application process grinds on.

When I became aware of this situation shortly after my diaconal ordination in May, I questioned what could be done to help all these new folks adjust to life in Canada. My research led to Linda Alexander, the recruitment and settlement officer for Lanark and Renfrew counties. We put our heads together and quickly put out a call to church and community members, local service providers and the newcomers themselves with a goal of creating a coordinated response to support and assist these newest members of our community. Out of this meeting, a grassroots organization called Open Arms Perth was formed!

One of the first pressing needs identified was that fall would soon be turning into winter, and most of the newcomers, of course, had never experienced snow. An information session on winter preparedness was created and very well attended.

Calls were put out for donations of gently used coats, hats and mitts, which then enabled Open Arms Perth to host winter clothing distributions — events, which parishioners from St. James helped with greatly. Rather than ask for donations of used boots, an invitation was sent to local churches for donations of money for the purchase of vouchers from Marks’ Work Wearhouse to help with buying new winter boots. St. James was the first church to answer that call, which consequently allowed every newcomer in need to buy new boots.

Other calls were well responded to for donations of furniture, household items and bedding. Again, parishioners at St. James were particularly generous in responding, donating bedding which also included many new, handmade quilts. As one of our donors said: ”These people deserve to receive new things too!”

In December, space at St. James was made available for the nurses to hold a special celebration. These are very hardworking people, and it meant so much for them to have a space to relax together and celebrate the Christmas season with their own foods and music.

The past months have been a time of real blessing for all involved in Open Arms — for newcomers, volunteers and donors alike. Best of all, and most touching to experience, are the new personal relationships being formed as we warmly welcome our brothers and sisters in Christ to Canada. For many their journeys have been really difficult, and we’ve been grateful to be able to help them along in some small way.

Related article:

The Future Fund launches — first application deadline is March 15

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Two motions passed by Perth’s Town Council have left the St. James outreach group optimistic about its plan to create 10 units of affordable housing on town land at 63 Halton Street. 

St. James organized and works through a steering committee known as Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP). The project is St James’s contribution to the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s campaign to create 125 units of affordable housing in celebration of the diocese’s 125^th anniversary.

One approved council motion amended the town’s strategic plan so it can designate surplus lands to be used to establish affordable housing. The second required that proposals must be based solely on the creation of affordable housing, with the town offering the land at a nominal cost of one dollar. 

In December, the council called a halt to any initiatives on affordable housing and ruled that proposals for town-owned land must be open to anyone interested.

CHIP was concerned that the policy would allow for conventional housing by developers, promising a small number of units somewhat below market rent but nowhere near rates needed for people who are on wait lists for affordable housing.

The town issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) for affordable housing on the Halton Street site in February and the CHIP group worked feverishly to file its proposal before the March 20 deadline.

“We’ve been working to this moment for a number of years,” Canon Ken Davis of St. James says. “We’ve established a solid partnership with Carebridge Community Support, a non-profit affordable housing provider that has completed similar projects in the county.” 

Co-chair David Kroetsch of St James is elated by the new motions and says the town’s new Request for Proposal (RFP) rules align positively with CHIP’s plans. 

 “We are extremely pleased that council has made this bold commitment to affordable housing in Perth,” he says. “This support is desperately needed so that the community can now move ahead to create secure housing for marginalized residents, as has been done in Mississippi Mills and Smiths Falls.” 

One of the reasons the council put forward in December for its change of heart was the need to consult Lanark County. The county had issued an RFP strictly for affordable housing with a $1.5 million grant.

Following the negative reception that CHIP got in December from the town council, senior officials of Lanark County invited representatives of the group to a meeting to discuss the way forward.

The CHIP group’s plan has always centred around Carebridge Community Support owning and operating the project.  

Out of the meeting with the county came a plan whereby Carebridge would create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a proposal asking the town to grant Carebridge the land on condition that CHIP is awarded Lanark’s $1.5 million grant.

Carebridge’s track record in the county and CHIP’s work on the project over four years helped to position CHIP as the best candidate. 

Rental costs will be at or below the defined affordable housing rates set by Lanark County, and are to remain as affordable housing for a least 30 years. 

While the town will provide the land, council said it is not able to waive property taxes, permit fees and development charges.

The county’s family and social services department will determine eligible tenants from a waiting list of more than 300 people in the town.

The plan calls for 10 units (single and multiple bedrooms with accessible units of each) but if 12 units are more attractive to town council CHIP will be ready to comply.

Local architects have helped create conceptual drawings. “The design for a 10-unit building has been shaped by input from our meeting with neighbours of the site last May,” Canon Davis says. 

“After their input, we were moved to rework our plans for 10 units that would require fewer parking spaces with the lowest possible environmental impact. The layout would also provide attractive mutual greenspaces, improved drainage and a design that fits well with surrounding properties and buildings—most like two-story single lot homes.”

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