Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Reaction to Lambton County’s latest affordable housing proposal for the former St. Bartholomew church property was overwhelmingly positive at a public consultation meeting Tuesday evening.

But speaker after speaker emphasized they do not want supportive housing built in their neighbourhood.

“I’m very comfortable with affordable housing,” said John Kinchsular, one of about 100 who packed the meeting at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

So many people wanted input into the proposal that two more public consultation sessions were quickly added, said county officials.  They are being held Wednesday at Sacred Heart from 1 pm to 3 pm and from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. 

A four-storey building with 94 one-bedroom units is being proposed where St. Bart’s once stood near the corner of Cathcart Blvd. and Colborne Rd.  If approved by Lambton County council and if rezoning is approved by Sarnia city council, the new building will be located next to Jubilee Gardens, which is an affordable housing complex operated by the county since the 1970s.

“I remember when Jubilee Gardens was built and we barely knew it was there,” said Kinchsular.  “It was always clean, quiet and well-run.  Kudos to Lambton County for that.”

Melisa Johnson, the county’s housing services manager, opened the meeting by explaining the dire need for affordable housing in Sarnia-Lambton.

There are currently 982 households on the county’s affordable housing wait list, she said.  A 2021 study concluded 2,490 new affordable units were needed in Sarnia-Lambton.

When St. Bartholomew’s closed, the diocese sold the property to the county and said it would like to see affordable housing built there.

Lambton County has approved the site’s use for affordable housing only, said Johnson.  Rumours have suggested that the county has earmarked the site for supportive housing or a shelter. 

Neither is true, she said. 

“Our hope is the new building will be rent-gear-to-income, the same as Jubilee Gardens,” said Johnson. 

Many speakers at the meeting said they will oppose the project if it is for supportive housing rather than affordable.  Supportive housing is affordable housing but with “wraparound” services that assist tenants who may have mental health challenges or physical disabilities that require personal care, light housekeeping and 24-hour security.

Sarnia-Lambton needs supportive housing too but this will be affordable for tenants with incomes under $35,000 a year, Johnson assured the crowd.

The site is ideal for affordable housing because of its proximity to a grocery store, a pharmacy, a dentist and bus service, she said.

At least two speakers stood up and said they don’t want Indwell to be involved.  Indwell is an independent charity that operates supportive housing complexes across southwestern Ontario and is proposing one on George Street in central Sarnia.

“We want nothing to do with Indwell,” said one man who suggested Cathcart neighbours would ban together to keep Indwell out. “You’ll have a riot on your hands,” he warned.

One neighbour asked if qualifications to live in the new building will be the same as those for Jubilee Gardens.

“That is the current approach,” Johnson said.

Several speakers said they want tenants to agree in writing that they understand they will be evicted if they abuse drugs.  Others said they were concerned about the amount of parking.  The current plan has 81 parking spaces for the existing Jubilee Gardens and the new building.  That equates to .6 of a parking space for each unit, a little less than what’s required by the City of Sarnia for deeply affordable housing. 

The parking allotment will need to be approved by the city, Johnson said.

Reaction to the preliminary design of the proposed building was mixed with some residents objecting to its height.

While some said they found the design esthetically pleasing, others said it didn’t fit the “charm” of the area and was too institutional.

Once the three community consultation sessions are complete, facilitator Bryan Boyle will write a report with all the public input included.  That report is expected to go to Lambton County council this spring when a final decision will be made on the project, said Johnson.

“We know there is federal funding coming down the pipeline so our goal is to get the project shovel-ready as quickly as possible,” she said. 

The earliest construction could begin is mid-2027, Johnson said.  And occupancy would likely be in the spring of 2029. 

Anyone wanting to attend one of today’s consultation sessions is required to register online at lambtononline.ca/housinginput.