Woolwich buys land in Elmira for housing on federal government’s dime

Woolwich is prioritizing housing with its new purchase of land in Elmira using the federal government’s home accelerator fund.

In a press release, the township said it bought land at 22 Church St. W. and 6 Maple St. The area is set to be a mixed-use development through a request for proposals process, which invites developers to submit plans to revitalize the area.

The municipality was able to buy the properties through the Housing Accelerator Fund, a stream of money from the federal government that supports the building of new homes. In February, Woolwich was approved $6.7 million in funding over a three-year period, that will help address local housing needs, streamline development, approvals and create affordable units.

Kitchener also received the housing accelerator fund, according to Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis. He said at the Woolwich announcement on Dec. 20 there is a need for everyone to come together to address the crisis.

“It needs to be all levels of the government stepping together, and we’re hearing it from constituents that housing is one of the primary concerns, especially here in Woolwich, where the population is growing so fast,” he said.

Woolwich is planning on building a public square with green space on either side of Maple Street that it says will “foster a sense of community.”

The land was purchased to align with the Elmira Core Urban Design Study that addresses underutilized township lands. The municipality has been working to find sites that are best for redevelopment.

Louis said that the goal of the fund is to allow cities to use the money to build in a way council sees fit.

“It’s important that we have that dialog, and we’re listening and we’re there for you, but the decisions should be yours about how to grow Woolwich in a responsible way,” he said.

The township is one of the fastest-growing municipalities within the Region of Waterloo, with a population expected to grow from 27,000 to 51,000 by 2050.

With files from CityNews Kitchener’s Erin Anderson.