The County of Lambton is putting its name in the Housing Supply Challenge.
The effort, brought forward by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), aims to unlock new solutions for Canadians searching for an affordable place to call home.
The program is currently offering up to $40 million for innovative, scalable solutions to affordable housing that accelerate the use of construction processes and materials.
During its meeting Wednesday, county council requested staff partner with Toronto based Wildscape Co. for the possible development of lands on Kathleen Avenue in Sarnia, and to start the rezoning process of those lands.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, while supportive of the idea, is concerned about the location.
"I have expressed this many times, about the concentration of social housing into one area," said Bradley. "We have seen it going back to the 60s in Sarnia, and I am concerned here also about taking parkland out in that neighbourhood that needs it. The issue of ghettoization was discussed at the homelessness summit, can we not look in other parts of the community for this type of development?"
Deputy Warden and city councillor Brian White agrees that other areas need to be explored for future affordable and accessible housing.
"I think it's high time, and I feel this way about both municipalities, that we start looking at using some of our reserves to purchase some land to continue this discussion that councillor Bradley just started," said White. "The idea of creating some more opportunities throughout the community, both at the Sarnia level and at the Lambton County level."
The current concept is for 24 units on a section of land owned by the County of Lambton and currently used as greenspace/parkland. The units will offer a mixture of row housing style accommodation for single or couples, including barrier free units.
CMHC will select a short-list of applications, up to 25, to proceed with the design and feasibility project development.
