Two churches in Waterloo Region looking to turn land into housing

Christ Lutheran Church in Waterloo and St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Kitchener have teamed up with a developer to explore using their lands for affordable housing.

The proposed projects are expected to take five years to complete and will offer a third of the units at below market rate. They are also working with the developer to make the units net zero friendly.

Bishop Michael Pryse of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada said the church is recognizing they have land resources that are not being used for the community in the way they could be.

“Christian communities and congregations are starting to ask questions about are there partnerships that we can forge that would bless our communities, help issues around housing, but also bring better partnerships between those congregations and their neighbours,” said Pryse.

The two churches are not the first in Waterloo Region to go down the redevelopment route. In 2020, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kitchener partnered with MennoHomes to create a five storey building with 48 units. St. Mark’s Church teamed up with Indwell to create around 40 units for $500 a month in rent.

Pryse noted congregates that have undergone redevelopment have embraced them over time with “very few conflicts.”

“Once they grasp the vision and how it connections with what their calling is as Christian people is, they embrace it,” said Pryse. “Blessing comes from blessing your neighbours.”

Pryse said a third church is also in the works but did not want to be identified.