A 10-storey apartment building may be coming to a recreation centre parking lot near you, including in the south end where construction has only just begun.
Mayor Cam Guthrie used the example to illustrate how city assets could be used to create more housing – something he’s ordered city staff to investigate and provide council with recommendations.
“No one’s going to get upset if there’s a 10-storey building above the parking lot. No one’s going to care and we have more housing for people in need.” said Guthrie, noting land is the most expensive part of housing projects.
“If we can unlock and turn these pieces of land into performing assets for the community good, it’s just an absolute no-brainer for me,” he said of using city-owned land for housing.
The mayor recently filed two staff directives related to housing in the city – one on the use of municipal assets for the creation of new housing, and one to identify potential locations for a temporary encampment site.
Both reports are be presented to council for consideration once ready.
Other potential uses of city-owned assets include apartment units above surface parking lots.
Favourable consideration is to be given to projects where there is capacity available in water and wastewater lines.
“If there’s infrastructure in the ground and we can do it, let’s do it,” Guthrie said.
As part of the report, city staff is to give priority to social housing initiatives, with any proceeds generated to be put into the social housing reserve to help fund projects or used similarly.
In the case of surface parking lots, especially in the downtown, Guthrie’s order includes a provision aimed at ensuring there are no spaces lost – all projects are to come with a net gain of public parking spaces.
When it comes to selecting a sanctioned encampment site, the mayor noted private and city-owned properties are to be considered.
“It does not have to be tiny homes,” he said, explaining those structures can take months to receive and set up. “If there is another stop-gap opportunity here where the city has the opportunity to provide services – the water, the washrooms, the electricity, the waste collection, all that stuff – but they’re still choosing to be in a tent, then I would like that to be operations (as soon as possible).”
The staff report is to include details about the cost of providing city services to the chosen site, including providing water and waste collection.
Input is also to be sought from the County of Wellington, which provides social and housing services on behalf of the city, as well as healthcare providers.
It’s been about three weeks since the mayor announced his plan to issue the orders under the so-called strong mayor powers granted to him by the provincial government last summer.
Asked why he didn’t issue the orders sooner, Guthrie said he was waiting to see what happened with a proposed public space use bylaw – it was deferred on Feb. 14 – and a meeting with a national housing advocate last week.
“I wanted to thoughtfully consider that input,” the mayor said. “Also, I don’t want to be coming back and doing minor edits or changes on things, I’m trying to give the direction so it’s done once and it’s done right,”
