A plan for a four-story apartment building on Gibbons Street in Goderich received final approval from Huron County council last week.
Planning Manager Denise Van Amersfoort said the plan received enthusiastic support from members of the community earlier this month at a Goderich council meeting.
“A number of individuals came out and spoke in support and I think it was really a nice opportunity for the last council members to have everyone that they spoke with they were really pleased that they had the opportunity to vote in favour of this project, recognizing how important it is for the community," said Van Amersfoort.
The apartment building will have just under 40 units and it will be a mix of affordable, which is 80 per cent of market rent, rent-geared-to-income unit, and then finally units with supports for those members of the community that are transitioning out of homelessness.
Van Amersfoort explained the approval from the community is an indication of a significant change in the thinking of many people who would have opposed apartment buildings just a few years ago.
“More and more members of our community are falling into a situation where they cannot find housing that meets their needs and so I think many of us know someone who's in these situations, so there's a bit of a shift in terms of people coming out in support of these types of projects," Van Amersfoort added.