Due to increasing homelessness in Chatham-Kent, the municipality keeps looking at ways to address the problem.
Administration is looking at creating more affordable and supportive housing and is recommending to redevelop a property at 110 Sandys Street in Chatham with approximately 46 supportive housing units, and developing a parcel at 416-421 Park Street East in Chatham to potentially deliver approximately 82 units of affordable housing and 50 units of supportive housing.
The municipality projects it will need more than 2,600 supportive housing units and more affordable housing between now and 2050 with projected population growth of 15 per cent by 2050.
In total, there are 86 supportive housing spaces in Chatham-Kent for people previously experiencing homelessness, according to municipal data.
Administration said the current supportive housing programs in Chatham-Kent are facing challenges and the need remains high, adding that Chatham-Kent needs a minimum of 130 additional supportive housing spaces this year.
"Homelessness in Chatham-Kent has escalated, driven by a lack of affordable housing, economic pressures, and insufficient support services," wrote Chatham-Kent Director of Municipal Housing Development Ray Harper in his report going to council on Monday night.
Harper noted that homelessness rates have surged since December 2024 with visible encampments becoming more common due to the pandemic, the opioid crisis, and rising housing costs.
He said a recent community survey indicated that 20 per cent of respondents do not have stable housing and many are living in unsafe or temporary conditions.
The municipality stated the need for rental housing in Chatham-Kent is substantial, with 28 per cent of households being tenants and many struggling with affordability.
Harper said March's Centralized Waiting List of CK households in need of affordable housing increased another 2.5 per cent from February to 1,386 households and 70 per cent of them or at least 970 households on the list are looking for units in Chatham.
Harper also said that Chatham-Kent and Indwell have had discussions again about supportive housing, including the use of any donations Indwell obtained for the previous St. Agnes project at 55 Croydon Street in Chatham being used towards exploration.
Meanwhile, the municipality is reporting that it has completed 12 affordable housing developments since 2018 at a cost of nearly $30 million, providing the community with 146 occupied units of affordable housing.
According to the municipality, another 160 units are either being developed or under construction, including 27 one bedroom affordable units for seniors at 101 McNaughton Avenue West in Chatham that should be ready in Spring 2026.
The other projects underway are five multi-bedroom family units at 24 Redwood Crescent in Chatham, six multi-bedroom family units at 179 Eugenie Street in Chatham, both to be ready next Spring as well, and 72 one bedroom to multi bedroom units at 199 Westcourt Boulevard in Wallaceburg that could be ready for Spring 2027 if designs are approved.
The Transitional Cabin Program in Chatham should also be ready soon, according to the municipality. However, occupancy timelines are under review for the 50 cabins that come with a community building, a washroom pavilion, a security cabin, and a utility cabin.
Administration also has its eye on two vacant school properties for housing and wants council to consider them. Staff wants council's blessing to prepare the sites at the former St. Ursula school at 426 Lacroix Street in Chatham and the former John N. Given school at 92 Churchill Street in Chatham to be shovel ready for when affordable housing and community use development funding opportunities come up.
Some projects, however, have had to be put on hold for now. A proposed residential development for the land at the soon to be vacated Children’s Treatment Centre near the Chatham courthouse has been paused for the foreseeable future. Administration cited costly infrastructure upgrades of Courthouse Lane and long-term lease agreements that include the surrounding courthouse lands.
A development at at 55 Minnie Street in Wallaceburg is also being paused. Staff noted the three-storey 43-unit and four-storey 58-unit project needs significant infrastructure upgrades in order to fully develop the site.
Administration added the municipality has also received approval for more than $19 million in grant applications towards affordable housing since the beginning of last term of council. However, the municipality said it's still waiting to find out about over $21 million in housing related grant applications and is working on more than $20 million of additional affordable housing grant applications to submit this year.