A new city-led affordable housing project is taking shape in east London, with a proposal to build 42 units on a former elementary school property about to head to politicians for approval.

A new city-led affordable housing project is taking shape in east London, with a proposal to build 42 units on a former elementary school property about to head to politicians for approval.  

Even if it gets the green light, it’ll make only a minor dent in the growing needs for affordable housing across London, including a waiting list for subsidized social housing that numbers nearly 6,000.  

The four-storey building proposed for 18 Elm St., previously home to Holy Cross elementary school before it was closed and razed, has been in the works for years. City hall’s affordable housing arm, the Housing Development Corp., took control of the old school site between Hamilton Road and Trafalgar Street in 2020.  

“ We are talking about a residential side street not a primary corridor. Four storeys is, I think, the right fit,” Ward 2 Coun. Shawn Lewis said.  

The building would offer a mix of units, including those with one, two, three and four bedrooms.

It would include tenant supports to help people stay housed and connect with services they need. It’s unclear exactly what the supportive housing model would be but the planning justification report created for the project suggests it would specifically focus on Indigenous women, children, families and elders.  

In other affordable buildings, support includes on-site agencies, programs and social workers.

“We are talking about buildings where we are planning for people’s success. We don’t need just to put a roof over people’s head, we need to give them the supports and services they need to stay housed,” Lewis said.  

An Indigenous homelessness strategy was unveiled in London two years ago. It showed that 30 per cent of the city’s homeless population is Indigenous, despite representing 2.6 per cent of London’s overall population.

The proposal also includes a large public park on the northern portion of the site, plus 1,300 square metres of ground-floor space for Indigenous-led child care and a small community centre.

“These secondary uses are intended to provide supports and services for the tenant population and may extend outward to provide supports and services for the surrounding community,” a planning report prepared for the project states.

Lewis said those features are promising.

“ We need to see more of that if we want to see more of these complete neighbourhoods envisioned in the London Plan and in the climate emergency action plan. These need to be spaces people can walk to, can bike to and be right in their own neighbourhood,” he said.  

“Having that sort of service-based use on the ground floor, it really does help build community.”  

City council has to sign off on a rezoning application to allow the project, which would make it the fourth affordable housing build underway under city hall direction. The proposal goes to council’s planning committee for a public meeting on July 25.  

Rapid housing projects, using prefabricated materials for a quicker construction, became part of London’s plan to address spiralling housing and homelessness crises. A 61-unit complex at 122 Base Line Rd. W. already is full. Another affordable housing build, roughly the same size as the Elm Street proposal, is underway at 403 Thompson Rd.  

Mayor Ed Holder pledged to create 3,000 new affordable units in London by 2026 at a state of the city address, a target later endorsed by council. City hall published a roadmap to reach the goal, which would include a mix of building new units, subsidizing existing housing that’s not affordable and assisting non-profit or private developers to create more affordable housing as well.  

Sign up to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning breaking news coverage, in-depth analysis and unmatched investigative features at lunchtime weekdays.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of LFP Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4

© 2022 London Free Press, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.