The housing situation in Stratford remains a work in progress and with a lot of heavy lifting still to do, but city council received a report at their meeting July 22 that indicates they’re inching towards their goals.
Joani Gerber of InvestStratford and Stratford’s Manager of Housring, Jeff Wilson, presented the Housing Projects and Initiatives update in a management report to council, including status check-ins on four of their main goals: development of a community incentive toolkit (deferred to a future budget year), considering municipally-owned lands to support creation of additional attainable housing (options currently being reviewed), an awareness campaign to help inspire and inform the community (ongoing via social media), and engaging a housing specialist to guide research, projects and initiatives (underway).
The current centralized wait list for housing (rent-geared-to-income) as of the end of April 2024 included the following breakdowns: 500 total families, with singles and couples (265) making up the largest group, with families (180) and seniors (55) rounding out the list. By unit type, the report indicated that one-bed (305) was the most in demand, while two-bed (85), three-bed (57) and four-bed (53) units also had significant interest.
Gerber pointed out during her portion of the presentation that the current number of job openings in Stratford as listed on internet job board Indeed (as of July 10) was 500-plus, and she added that data collected from large employers indicates that between 40-60 per cent of their workforce was commuting.
“This translates to ongoing and immediate risk in the existing workforce,” she said. “There will be some for whom this is a lifestyle choice but the majority are commuting because they can’t find housing here. Making Stratford ‘sticky’ is a term we use that creates the desire for someone to live here - if Stratford is sticky, meaning a family lives here, they participate in cultural and social activities, they have a network, and they are far less likely to leave their employers for other jobs.”
The city has been working on projects to help them reach their goal. A rebuild of a social housing project in Milverton is anticipated to begin this fall with the awarding of tenders, while a supportive housing new build on Erie Street would deliver a multi-residential building. That project was approved in February of this year as an expansion initiative. Tenders for this project are also expected to be released in August.
Gerber indicated that part of the funding for these projects will come from the Housing Accelerator Fund, but also through strategic partnerships the city has made. She said that any organization that provides or builds shelter, housing or housing supports is part of their network.
“That includes, but is not limited to, Optimism Place, the Emily Murphy Centre, and the Connections Centre to name a few,” she said. “On the for-profit side, we work very closely with the Huron-Perth Builders Association, Realtor Association and local planning and engineering firms.”
The costs are estimated to run at about $5.3 million for the Fulton Street rebuild in Milverton and $4.97 million for the supportive housing project on Erie Street.
