Region will invite proposals to bring affordable housing units to Lauris Avenue surplus land

By Doug Coxson

The region is recommending staff be allowed to initiate a request for proposal (RFP) on three surplus properties to entice developers to build affordable housing units there.

One of those surplus properties is 30 Lauris Avenue in Cambridge. The 2.81 acre property is the site of the former Alison Public School which burned down more than a decade ago.

The region hopes to launch an RFP for the property in 2023 with potential of adding 45 affordable units to the site.

But before that happens, the region plans to consult with the community and work with the City of Cambridge to rezone the property for that purpose.

The estimated cost for preliminary studies and architectural designs for Lauris Avenue is $395,000.

Developing it and two other surplus properties in Kitchener and Waterloo would add an estimated 119 affordable units to local housing stock and is included in the region's Building Better Futures strategy to develop 2,500 new affordable homes in the next five years.

If approved by regional council, the RFP will likely include design guidelines to ensure quality standards like build materials, landscaping, compatibility and innovation.

Sarah Millar, the region's land portfolio manager, told the region's community services committee on Tuesday that staff is in the process of building out a tool kit so there's clarity around what's possible from the development community.

Millar said the region will also be working with staff and councillors in each city to create an “engagement plan” to ensure neighbours are informed and have the opportunity to learn both about the RFP process and what the development potential is for each of the sites.

In the process of working out the RFP, the region also hopes to test a few new benchmarks, including the idea of piloting a land lease model on one of the three sites.

The land lease model would extend the term of affordability to a minimum 40-year term in alignment with the recommendation of the Provincial Housing Affordability Task Force.

The current Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) requirement is a minimum 20-year term for many affordable housing programs.

Historically, the region has required a minimum 25-year term for affordable housing projects.

The other benchmark the region is striving to set is 40 per cent affordable housing units on any regional surplus land.

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