GUELPH – The county has announced it will spend $1.8 million on an affordable housing project, but will not divulge the source of the funding.
At a Nov. 27 county council meeting, officials announced the county will grant UpBuilding Non-Profit Homes (Guelph) Inc. funding to support an 18-unit affordable housing project located at 50 to 60 Fife Road in Guelph.
The county is the service system manager for all social services in both the Guelph and the county.
On July 18 the county received a funding announcement and spent up to $1.8 million dollars to support the development of affordable housing.
“The funding sources for the project are embargoed at this time,” officials stated in a press release.
In August the county’s housing services staff released a request for proposals (RFP) to develop affordable rental housing units (below 80 per cent of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s average market rent).
The RFP closed on Sept. 26 and housing services received four proposals. County council then approved up to $1.8 million to Upbuilding Non-Profit Homes.
The funding program guidelines require that approved projects sign a contribution agreement no later than Dec. 15 and then begin construction within 120 days.
“The need for affordable housing solutions has never been more critical,” said Dave Purdy, director of housing services.
He added the $1.8-million expenditure “will help fill a critical housing gap in the City of Guelph. The county looks forward to publicly announcing the funding sources of this incredibly important project at the appropriate time.”
Asked why the county will not state the funding source, county treasurer Ken DeHart said, “It’s a condition in the grant that we’re not allowed to indicate the specific source of the grant until the grantor has had the chance to make their own announcements.”
“This is new funding that allows these units to be built. The project wouldn’t have moved forward without the funding,” DeHart told the Advertiser
