As part of the city’s ambitious housing strategy, members of council on Monday (Aug. 14) will be asked to approve an application for funding under the CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund program.
This funding is available to municipalities across the country and is to create a greater supply of housing at an accelerated pace and enhance certainty in the approvals and building process, according to a report to council from Taylor Mooney, the city’s strategic initiatives manager.
Mooney notes such an application “has the potential to achieve sizable funds to support housing development in the City of St. Thomas. Base funding is estimated at $20,000/HAF incented unit, with opportunities for top-up funding and an affordable housing bonus.
To qualify for funding, the city has to prepare an action plan that identifies at least seven initiatives and the money provided is determined by estimating the number of permits issued for dwelling units resulting from the initiatives in the action plan before September 2026.

A 10% increase in dwellings through building permits over these three years is a minimum requirement of the application.
According to the report to council, the city’s action plan contains initiatives that “align with the ongoing strategic work the city is undertaking to support housing investment and housing diversity citywide.”
Mooney advises the action plan includes the following initiatives:

1. Develop a Community Affordable Housing Strategy;
2. Enhance CIP (Community Improvement Program) incentives to promote and facilitate the uptake of additional dwelling units within the city’s housing stock;
3. Promote infill and intensification throughout the built-up areas of the city on vacant or underutilized
lands, including increases to density of city-owned housing communities;
4. Create and improve processes for the disposal of city-owned land assets for the development of affordable and rapid housing;
5. Partner with non-profit housing providers to preserve and increase the stock of affordable housing throughout the city;
6. Develop and implement disincentives to discourage unit vacancy, underdeveloped/idle land, etc.;
7. Implement a Community Planning Permit System; and
8. Promote and allow more housing types that serve vulnerable populations.

There are caution flags to take into account with the city’s application.
Of critical importance, the application does not assign how any funds will be spent by the city, something CMHC is requesting.
Instead, members of council “will consider the precise allocation of secured funding, and each of the initiatives, at future council meetings,” according to Mooney’s report.
It is hoped council’s funding allocations will be based on recommendations from the members of staff who compiled the list of initiatives.

“If our reporting falls short of action plan expectations, the next installment could be reduced or revoked.”

Also very important to note, approval of the city’s funding application does not automatically equate to any commitment of city funds in support of the initiatives.
Mooney also delves into challenges the city will face with the initiatives including buy-in from developers, building material shortages, rising interest rates, environmental controls and available capital.
If the application is successful and funding will be allocated to the action plan, the city would be required to report to CMHC annually on both the status of each initiative, including building permit data, and how it has used any received funding.
This is to ensure follow-through on action plan items and that the initiatives can yield additional housing supply. Mooney stresses, “If our reporting falls short of action plan expectations, the next installment could be reduced or revoked.”
A lot of ifs and strings are attached to these much-needed housing dollars.

UPGRADING TO INDUSTRIAL-SIZED PUMPER

More pieces of the VW PowerCo EV battery plant puzzle are falling into place this week.
Last year the city’s fire department began the process of acquiring a new pumper truck to replace a life-expired vehicle.
A new demo pumper had been considered, however upon inspection it did not meet the city’s needs.
In the intervening months, the city has broken ground on the new industrial park with the EV battery plant becoming the first tenant.
In a report to city council for Monday’s meeting, Chief Dave Gregory advises, “To support the VW PowerCo SE project and the surrounding industrial park in which it will be located, St. Thomas Fire Services has determined that acquisition of an industrial pumper truck would be beneficial.”
Gregory continues, “With a wide assortment of firefighting chemical systems and deck guns, industrial pumpers are the most versatile, dependable pumpers available.”
A cautionary note, however, stresses Gregory.
“Because there are serious supply issues as it relates to fire apparatus including trucks and because delivery times of finished products are approximately 36 months from start to finish, it is recommended that the city move forward to single source an industrial pumper truck.”
The estimated cost of the proposed vehicle is $2.4 million while this year’s budget includes $700,000 for vehicle purchase.
So where will the difference be made up?
According to the report, “the funds will be identified as part of the broader industrial development project.”
If that is the case, will there be an itemized budget sheet relating to the project?
Meantime, it is expected VW PowerCo will begin plant development in early 2024, with completion in 2026 and product development in early 2027.

LAND DEAL FINALIZED FOR NEW BELMONT SCHOOL

At an announcement on the morning of June 25, 2020, then MPP Jeff Yurek had the news Belmont and area residents had been waiting four years to hear.
Yurek proclaimed, “the provincial government has approved the tendering of an $8.7 million elementary school in Belmont,” with the rest of that sentence drowned out by applause.

The new school was to accommodate 345 pupils and would necessitate the consolidation of South Dorchester and Westminster Central public schools, two underutilized facilities constructed in 1965.
It didn’t deem like an insurmountable hurdle at the time but the site for the school had not been finalized, although then Central Elgin Mayor Sally Martyn advised a deal would soon be concluded with an area developer.
The school was to welcome students this fall.
Seems a site for the school would prove to be a considerable hurdle.
The Thames Valley District School Board and the developer of a subdivision on the west side of Belmont had reached a stalemate over acquiring the land for the new school.
At the end of last August, TVDSB trustees voted to acquire land for the school through the Expropriations Act.
On January 31 of this year, the trustees approved the final steps toward the land expropriation process.
The property is in the sixth phase of the Craigholme Estate subdivision on Concession 7, west of Belmont Road.
Finally this week, the school board announced it has acquired the land.
Due to the delay, the Ministry of Education announced in March of this year an additional $3.4 million in funding for the project. The additional funding will allow the board to increase the size of the school to accommodate 507 students.
This larger school will consolidate enrollment from South Dorchester Public School, with students from Northdale Central Public School, River Heights Public School, Westminster Central Public School and Davenport Public School attendance areas.
Staff plan to hold a community information session about the school this fall and pending ministry approvals, it is expected to be completed by the 2026-27 school year.

Related posts:

St. Thomas Fire Chief Dave Gregory says we’ve got this covered when asked about challenges with the new Volkswagen EV battery plant -‘It’s what we do day-to-day’

A tale of two schools: ‘The public doesn’t support us closing full schools to create a business case to open another one.’

NEW ELECTORAL RIDING IS ‘EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE’

At this time last year, Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Karen Vecchio was drumming up support to maintain the status quo.
You see new electoral boundaries proposed by the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario could have had a significant impact on the outcome of federal and provincial elections in both St. Thomas and Elgin county.
At the time, Vecchio was quick to admit she had concerns with the proposed re-alignment.

The aim is to have all ridings in the province fairly equal in population, around the 115,500 mark.
The new electoral roadmap would have seen St. Thomas incorporated into a new riding to be known as London South–St. Thomas.
Elgin-Middlesex-London riding would no longer exist, instead, a much larger riding of Elgin-Middlesex-Thames – with a population of 117,400 – which includes Port Stanley, Port Burwell, Rodney, Ridgetown, Glencoe, Strathroy, Harrietsville and Mossley would be created.
Vecchio made no bones about the process, “It’s about population and not about communities.”
Her grassroots campaigning paid off when in February of this year the report by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario was tabled in the House of Commons and the boundary adjustment in Elgin-Middlesex-London riding turns out to be far less drastic – and disruptive – than first proposed.
The report called for Thames Centre (currently in Elgin-Middlesex-London) to join Middlesex-London riding and the rest of EML riding to remain as is.
At the time, an obviously relieved Vecchio stressed, “This was not just one person. This was the chamber of commerce, the wardens, the mayors and different organizations all coming together and talking about the same thing.
“And so the fact they were being listened to, the fact the commissioner took all of these suggestions and really recognized the importance of counties and communities staying together, I applaud them.”
And she added, “I will not be appealing this decision. I look at the name and it represents Elgin, St. Thomas and south London and that’s exactly where we are.”
And last month, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario advised it had concluded its work of redrawing the province’s federal electoral map. After considering the views of the public and objections by members of the House of Commons, the commission submitted its final report to the Chief Electoral Officer for transmission to the Speaker of the House. The report was tabled in the House of Commons on July 19.
A new federal electoral district, identified in the report as Elgin-St. Thomas-London South has now
been established as the electoral district with boundaries that include all municipalities within Elgin county, the City of St. Thomas in its entirety, and a portion of south London (generally south of Southdale Road).
It is one of 122 electoral districts that have been identified with a population of 112,448.
The new electoral map will be used in the first general election called at least seven months after the map is officially adopted, anticipated to be next month.
A report on the process leading to the establishment of Elgin-St. Thomas-London South riding, prepared by city manager Sandra Datars Bere, is included in the agenda for Monday’s (Aug. 14) council meeting.

Related posts:

Former Elgin MP Ken Monteith was cut from a special kind of cloth

New electoral boundaries: ‘It’s about population and not about communities’ – Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Karen Vecchio

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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.