St. John's CRA site earmarked for affordable housing, but advocates have questions

A swath of land in the heart of St. John's where taxes are now calculated could be turned into affordable housing, but advocates have questions about how it's going to be rolled out.

290 Empire Ave., where Canada Revenue Agency has an office, has been added to the Canada Public Lands Bank in an effort to build more than four million additional homes across the country in the coming years.

"Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public," said a Services and Procurement Canada statement on Oct. 8.

According to Minister Jean-Yves Duclos's office, 100 housing units could be built on the land.

While housing advocates are applauding Ottawa for making the land available for developments, they're also looking for more details on those plans.

Hope Jamieson, a housing researcher and consultant, said the land being "unlocked" is good news, but they're worried that any future developments won't happen soon enough.

"It is often years in the making from announcement to the actual sort of opening of a housing project," they told CBC News.

"And at the particular juncture that we are in right now, we don't have the luxury of time. So these need to be really urgent responses and the procedures don't always follow that."

According to the Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, an estimated 60,000 homes need to be built across the province in the next six years.

 WATCH |  There's potential for 100 affordable housing units — but it needs "urgent response," says Hope Jamieson: 

Land ‘is a hard nut to crack’ for affordable housing, but 100 units could be built at CRA site

2 months ago

Duration 1:15

Hope Jamieson, a housing researcher, says getting 290 Empire Ave. — where Canada Revenue Agency has an office — added to the Canada Public Lands Bank for potential housing is great, but only if it turns into action.

While currently occupied by the CRA, the Empire Avenue location will be vacated when the office is relocated to Kelsey Drive.

Jamieson wants to know how the housing units will be kept affordable, especially if the land is given to developers.

"I think one of the important metrics there is the requirements for affordability and the duration of affordability that we attach to those things," they said.

Jamieson said they'd like to see a co-ordinated effort that brings together different levels of government to grant the land to a community organization that deals with affordable housing, as well as capital and operating funding for building these new homes.

"And then to ensure long-term affordability by keeping that in the community, making sure that there are wrap-around supports associated with it to assure success for tenants," said Jamieson.

An opportunity

Doug Pawson, executive director of End Homelessness St. John's, said adding the Empire Avenue lot to the land bank is a good first step to addressing the need for affordable housing.

"Unlocking land for housing and especially affordable housing is critically important, especially in established cities where land is not always easily available," he said.

However, Pawson has questions about how the government is going to ensure these homes go for those in need and keep them affordable.

"The real question for everybody is what are the details around affordability and how that will be ensured as part of the process."

To build affordable housing, Pawson said there has to be added incentives and subsidies to get it down. That can mean making parcels of land available to developers at a discounted rate or for free in order to keep the development costs lower, which in turn can help ensure affordable housing.

"This is a great opportunity for us to work together," he said.

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