There is no single solution to the ongoing housing crisis. No single approach or individual project will solve the challenge of housing affordability. Instead, it will require a variety of strategies, with different types of housing projects and partnerships spread throughout the city.For example, here at the former Travelodge Hotel on Princess Street, more than 100 hotel rooms have been transformed into bachelor suites. Bluevale Capital, a new housing partner in Kingston, completed the conversion in just six months—adding much-needed, more attainable housing units to our community.
Across town in the Shannon Park neighbourhood, the City is supporting affordable home ownership through a new Habitat for Humanity project. Earlier this month we broke ground on two new semi-detached housing units, which will provide homes for two more families on a parcel of land donated by the City.
We are also working to improve emergency shelter options to offer safer, more secure housing for individuals facing homelessness. Last week, the City acquired a property on Sydenham Road with the potential to become a temporary shelter facility that includes on-site day services. There will be extensive public engagement in the coming months as we work out the details of the project, but this is part of a larger effort to move away from the current concentration of shelter spaces in one area of the city. Instead, we aim to create several smaller shelter facilities distributed across the community. We’ve seen from past experience that this approach leads to better outcomes—not only for individuals experiencing homelessness but also for surrounding neighbourhoods.
Whether it’s converting more motels, developing non-profit housing on City-owned land, or creating more effective emergency shelters, these are the kinds of incremental steps that will help us address housing affordability—one project at a time.