Former Cambridge motel site turned affordable housing project gets $15M in federal funding

The federal government is contributing $15 million to help build 55 new affordable housing units in Cambridge.

The new units will be dedicated to people with mental health problems, physical disabilities and vulnerable Indigenous people.

The 55 new affordable units will be at least 57 square metres. Tenants will not be charged rent higher than 30 per cent of their annual household income.

Tim Welch, a development consultant working on the project, said 16 of the 55 units will be rented out for $497 per month to a single residents who receive benefits through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

On the higher end, he said some larger two-bedroom units will be rented out for at about $1,400 per month. Welch added maintenance costs will be absorbed by the non-profit organizations in charge of running the complex, ensuring that residents will not be charged condo fees.

The latest set of buildings, located at the site of the former Satellite Motel on Hespeler Road, are a part of a larger affordable housing project within the Region of Waterloo.

The goal of the project is to build 2,500 new homes over the next five years. The region's affordable housing dashboard shows 990 homes have been built as part of the program with 153 now occupied and 837 homes are in development.

In an announcement on Tuesday, federal Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen said residents of the new development will also be receiving wrap-around support services from K-W Urban Native Wigwam, Lutherwood and the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region.

"Housing is not a is not a luxury. It is a necessity," Hussen said.

Cambridge Mayor Kathryn McGarry said the need for supportive housing is great in Cambridge.

"We know that where we're standing today is going to be providing more than a roof over somebody's head. This space will serve as a place to grow, to learn and heal for so many in our community. It's more than housing," she said.

The apartments at 195 Hespeler Road in Cambridge are expected to be ready by spring 2023.