Kitchener seeks affordable housing proposals for unlocked land

Some land was just unlocked by the City of Kitchener using the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to purchase a site where an auto body shop was located.

It is adjacent to other city-owned land with the goal of turning it all into affordable housing. Kitchener wants at least 20 units to be developed from 449 to 471 Wellington St. N.

“The city had owned a number of vacant parcels along Wellington Street there for some time now, and we had the opportunity to acquire a middle parcel that would really complete the land assembly,” said Rosa Bustamante, director of planning and housing policy, Kitchener.

“We’re really interested and excited to see what different organizations might propose for how they would use the land and the types of residence that they plan to accommodate on that site through their design.”

Councillor Paul Singh told 570 NewsRadio that he hears from constituents about the rising cost of housing.

He said they plan to use the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) definition of affordable housing, which is when housing costs less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income.

“It really emphasizes that there needs to be a broader strategy of collaboration between the public and private sector to unlock potentials of affordable housing units wherever we can,” added Singh.

“This initiative is a win-win for our community, it really utilizes underused lands to create much needed housing for our residents.”

Proposals for the site are accepted until Jan. 14, with the city aiming to announce a partner next spring.