If the current policy stands, social housing will only receive a fraction of revenue from the sale of this Crichton Street property.
The City of Ottawa’s Housing First policy, a directive aimed at designating surplus city buildings for low-income housing projects, is under review amidst a high demand for affordable housing, according to an audit released by Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCH).
The audit, conducted by Conestoga-Rivers & Associates, revealed serious problems within OCH.
Its housing portfolio consists of 14,783 residential units within 162 communities located throughout Ottawa.
Despite the size of its housing portfolio, the audit showed OCH was not keeping up with the City’s huge demand for affordable housing.
OCH has not built or acquired new properties since 2005, even though the list of prospective tenants continues to grow.
Ginelise Edouard, a member of the Association of Community Houses For Reform Now (ACORN), says that any surplus buildings should be converted to accommodate social housing.
She says between 9,000 and 15,000 prospective tenants are on the waiting list for affordable housing.
“There’s a lot of people on the waiting list who are actually at the shelter and have no place to go. They cannot move because there are no facilities for them.”
Under Ottawa’s Housing First policy, residential properties that the city wants to sell must meet an affordable housing target of 25 per cent, meaning that at least a quarter of each prospective company must be designated for social housing.
When the city sells residential properties without meeting the affordable housing mandate, only 25 per cent of the proceeds from the sale are credited to a social housing fund.
Coun. Diane Holmes, who is also an OCH board member, was one of the voices that called for re-visitation of the Housing First policy.
“I’m very disappointed in [the Housing First] Policy. It used to say that 100 per cent [surplus building sales] would go into a housing fund.”
Holmes says she is not certain when the policy changed, but figures that it happened when she briefly retired from civil service between 2000 and 2003, during which time the amalgamation of the City of Ottawa took place.
The current Housing First policy came into effect in July 2005; however, a recent motion to sell surplus buildings drew the councilors’ attention to the policy.
The properties in question encompass the addresses of 281-283 and 293-295 Crichton Street.
The properties were originally being held by the city in anticipation of an extension of the Vanier Parkway; when these plans were abandoned in December 1999, the buildings soon ended up in the city’s building surplus.
On Feb.11, city council voted to sell both properties, with the provision that the revenue be held in reserve until the Housing First policy comes before city council again.
Saide Sayah, housing developer for the city, says that at present the housing fund is admittedly low, but stressed that the city is taking steps to change that.
“We’re trying to get a higher percentage [of revenue] and expand the type of land we can get money for.” Sayah says modifying the Housing First policy may take a few months.
Despite this, things may be looking up for Ottawa’s largest social housing community. J
Jim Watson, the minister of municipal affairs and housing, says the government of Ontario is planning to inject $632 million into OCH over the next two years, with the Federal government expected to match Ontario’s funding.
Holmes says that once funding is secured, OCH will focus on rejuvenating its most troubled communities.
She says she feels the return of federal and provincial funding for social housing is a step in the right direction.
“[Social housing] has increased the costs of the municipal government,” says Holmes. “We need all three of us working together; this is at least a beginning.”