An upcoming supportive housing project could soon receive a financial boost from city hall.
According to a report heading to council’s May 30 meeting, the County of Wellington, which administers social services in Guelph, is recommending the city direct approximately $1.36 million toward the Kindle Communities supportive housing project on Shelldale Crescent.
The Kindle project — which is in partnership with the Guelph Community Health Center and developer Skyline and will see a five-storey, 32-unit supportive housing project, with staff on site 24-7 — was unanimously approved by city council just over a year ago.
According to a letter to council from Eddie Alton, the county’s social services administrator, the Kindle project has already received financial assistance from the county and is currently in the final stages of an application for funding via the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s national housing co- investment fund.
“Receipt of municipal funding will reduce the debt the organization will need to finance, which will in turn increase the long-term viability of the project,” Alton said in his letter.
His letter adds there was a second project that also applied for funding under the affordable housing program, but that it did not meet the county’s submission requirements. According to the county’s bids and tenders site, Wyndham House had submitted a bid for the funding.
Should council approve the request, it would effectively empty out the city’s affordable housing reserve fund, with the remaining $1.27 million already committed to the Grace Gardens and Wyndham House supportive housing projects. However, at the same meeting, council will also vote to ratify a decision from the May 2 committee of the whole meeting that would see $575,000 redirected from the Guelph Police Service’s financial surplus from last year into that account. There is also $500,000 directed to that fund each year at budget time, pending council approvals.
Anyone looking to provide a delegation at this meeting is required to register with the city clerk’s office no later than 10 am on May 27. To register, call 519-837-5603, TTY 519-826-9771, send an email to clerks@ guelph.ca or go online to guelph.ca/delegate.
Written submissions can also be sent to the clerk’s office, also by the May 27 deadline.
This meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm on May 30, and will be streamed live online at guelph.ca/live.
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