Region will look to build more housing over regionally owned parking lots, lands and buildings

In an effort to build more affordable housing across the region, councillors have directed staff to look at regionally owned parking lots, vacant buildings and lands that can be re-purposed.

It was a motion brought forward by Coun. Pam Wolf at a regional council Wednesday night. Wolf's motion was inspired by a similar motion discussed at Cambridge city council in December, but failed to pass.

"I think it is appropriate that we examine creative ideas to meet our housing goals," she told councillors Wednesday night. "Housing is a priority and strategic plan and in our plan to end chronic homelessness."

Wolf told CBC News she worked with regional staff to craft the motion and it was recommended that it included vacant buildings and lands because the region owns fewer parking lots than the municipalities. 

Wolf said an example of where the motion could be implemented is at the region's former child care centre on Concession Street in Cambridge, which is in the process of being converted to house a new paramedics hub and affordable housing.

"On that site there is a parking lot, so maybe we could increase the size of the affordable housing by building over the parking lot," she said.

Motion gets community support 

Council also heard from several delegates on behalf of not-for-profits and other organizations who were in support of the motion, Dan Clements with the group Citizens of Cambridge.

"One of the biggest challenge for affordable housing is location. Solving that is the number one criteria," Clements said.

"Even if the cost savings on the land are eaten up by extra costs to build, there are huge benefits on the infill development that brings more residents to live, work, play and support local businesses in an important 15 minute walkable neighbourhood."

Brian Doucet, associate professor with the University of Waterloo's school of planning and a Canada Research Chair, told councillors using municipally owned property and land to build non-market housing is the "single best municipal strategy to address the housing crisis."

"The market builds a lot of houses for wealthier households on edges of urban regions and a lot of small apartments and condos in urban areas, most of which are bought by investors and here in Waterloo region, that figure is 80 per cent," he said.

"We need to think about the kind of housing the market is unwilling or unable to build. Local governments don't have the budgets to do this themselves. What they do have is land."

Kitchener passed similar motion

On Monday, Kitchener city council passed a motion unanimously to explore the feasibility of building affordable housing over city owned parking lots.

The motion was introduced by Coun. Dave Schnider, who said city staff are already looking into surplus or underutilized lands in the city that could be used for housing and wanted surface parking lots to be added to the mix.

Staff are set to come back with a list of options for council's consideration by the second quarter of this year.