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The Times Advocate, 2006-11-15, Page 14Crossroads 14 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, November 15, 2006 Affordable housing an issue in Huron County By Nina Van Lieshout TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — A session on the situation of Huron County's Affordable Housing was brought to the Exeter Town Hall Nov. 6. Three components of the Canada/Ontario Affordable Housing Program were dis- cussed — Rental and supportive housing, the Homeownership component and the Housing Allowance Program. Rental and supportive housing Canada/Ontario Affordable Housing Program allocations have been granted for Huron County. "The capital program has been designed to create affordable housing units across Ontario. The federal and provincial gov- ernments have made funding available for up to $70,000 per unit," according to a news release from the Huron County Housing Services. Huron County has been allocated funding for 15 units. Manager of Housing Services Don Brisson is hoping "develop- ers will take the lead," on this component. "Three units are allocated for supportive housing for persons living with mental health disabilities and two units for supportive housing for vic- tims of domestic violence. Priority will be given to one and two bedroom units." Units which are available for funding include new construc- tion, renovation and rehabilita- tion, additions to existing stock of all types, acquisition of rental buildings, conversion of non-res- idential buildings to rental and secondary suites in ownership housing. Brisson is expecting proposals for the units. Those wanting to apply for project funding must be private developers or non- profit organizations and non- profit housing corporations not in receipt of ongoing federal subsides will also be eligible to submit proposals for funding. Brisson would like to start the project next year. Homeownership Component Also spoken of at the meeting was the homeownership compo- nent of the project. Huron County "has received an allocation of $126,000 to pro- vide assistance as a down pay- ment to 17 households on the purchase of a new or resale home," according to the Huron County Housing Services news release. Although "details and guide- lines are yet to be finalized regarding this component," according to Brisson, eligible units are "new units, including conversions from non-residen- tial use that include a new home warranty, resale homes, provid- ed a home inspection is under- taken at the prospective home- owner's expense. Units may be detached, semi-detached, con- dominiums, stacked homes, row houses or apartments and homes must be modest in size as determined by the Province and Huron County." To be eligible for down pay- ment assistance under the homeownership component of the AHP, prospective purchasers must be a renter household buy- ing a sole and principal resi- dence, have a household incomes not exceeding $50,500 and meet any additional criteria established and communicated by Huron County. For more information on homeownership assistance lev- els, maximum purchase price, security agreements and condi- tions for repayment by a home- owner contact Brisson at 482- 8505 ext 254 or 1-888-371- 5718. Housing Allowance Program The third component is the Housing Allowance Program for private sector landlords includ- ing private, non-profit and co- operative. Units that are subsi- dized are not eligible. "A housing allowance is a pay- ment to a landlord on behalf of a household to supplement the household's rental payments." The term of the agreement is five years. It is $192,000 for 20 units for five years which is an average of $160 per month per unit. "Two units must be allocated for victims of domestic violence. These units must be filled by agencies by the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) for each service manag- er area." Huron Housing Services expects this will be the Womens' Shelter and Second Stage Housing. Some eligible units include vacant units, self-contained units and units in compliance with the Building and Fire Codes. Eligible households "must be on or be eligible to be on a social housing waiting list and house- holds can be chosen from social housing waiting lists or from agency referrals." For more information on three components of the Canada/Ontario Affordable Housing Program contact Brisson. Tim Welch of Tim Welch Consulting Inc., a consultant working with Huron Housing Services, led a discussion on affordable housing, starting with presenting several Huron County affordable housing sta- tistics. Welch said over the last five years there has been a gradual emergence of Canada -Ontario Affordable Housing Programs (AHP), explaining that in 2006 Huron County participated in a two-part study — "A housing supply and demand study and housing strategies." Housing supply and demand Over the past 10 years Huron County has continued to have a relatively stable population but the population growth increase is below the provincial growth rate. The average household income in 2000 was $54,363, also below provincial standards which was $67,072. Welch says through a housing affordability analysis that the average rent in Huron County is $615 monthly. In South Huron it is $602. Over the last five years Huron County has undergone a 12.4 per cent rent increase. The average house price in Huron County as of 2006 is $191,923. In South Huron it is $172,500. The affordability of renting in Huron County is considered dif- ficult for those earning a low income. Ownership in Huron county is not affordable for low and median income households. There are 235 households on the county waiting list for rent - geared -to -income (RGI) housing. There are also separate waiting lists for market units in non- profit and co-operative housing. Welch detailed some of the housing needs and gaps in the county, including "up to a four year waiting time for one -bed- room units, lack of housing with support services, affordable housing that is not close to amenities or services, lack of housing options for older adults (senior housing), lack of afford- able housing for lower income households, no emergency hous- ing for males and lack of hous- ing options for youth (young workforce)." Housing strategies Welch elaborated on housing strategies Huron County and area municipalities, the commu- nity, the federal government and the provincial government can do to improve the housing situa- tion in the county. Among the ideas for Huron County were, "to pass a housing facilities bylaw to allow munici- pal financial support and define affordable housing, participate in AHP and encourage a variety of affordable housing projects both private and non-profit, have new affordable housing located in larger towns, close to services (retail), encourage a wider range of housing types especially for seniors needs/aging in place and encourage intensification of underutilized sites in urban areas." The community can also get involved, according to Welch by advocating to the federal and provincial governments through county, private and community groups, sponsor education pro- grams and considering land availability from community/non-profits. Mortgage Loan Insurance for Affordable Rental Projects Representatives from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Carl Lawrence and Caroline Ling also attended the session, explaining what the CMHC does. They offer mortgage loan insurance for affordable housing projects, viability for affordable rental projects and CMHC fund- ing initiatives.For more informa- tion visit www. chmc. ca The ABCA takes a look at the 1970s (Note: The following is the seventh of 12 columns in 2006 about the Ausable Bayfield watershed's conser- vation pioneers, during the 60th anniversary year rec- ognizing the formation of Ontario's first Conservation Authority — the former Ausable River Conservation Authority, now the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority — and the creation of the Conservation Authorities Act of 1946.) The year was 1976. Wild Cherry was singing "Play That Funky Music." Rene Levesque and his Parti Quebecois had swept to power in Quebec. Jimmy Carter was elected United States president. Guy Lafleur and his Montreal Canadiens were hoisting the Stanley Cup. The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA), meanwhile, was completing fill and floodline mapping for Seaforth, Clinton, Bayfield, Exeter, Ailsa Craig, Grand Bend and Port Franks. The protection of life and property from flooding was one of the original motivations for the creation of Conservation Authorities and it remains one of our principal mandates today. Just as the ABCA undertakes studies and projects related to erosion in 2006, 30 years ago the Conservation Authority was working to solve erosion problems at that time. Four -hundred twenty feet of steel sheet piling was erected along the Ausable River in Grand Bend as part of an erosion control project, completed in 1978. Later, in 1980, there would be an additional 455 feet of steel sheet piling installed on the river bank to protect homes on Gill Road from the instability of the riverbank. Canada's Right Honourable Charles Joseph Clark saw his short-lived government elected in 1979 only to be defeated months later. The ABCA faced its own local problem around that time. The Stewart Gully Erosion Control Project, which had been working effectively for 13 years, began to fail in 1979. That meant it was back to the drawing board to find new and better ways to protect against the erosion problem. Work on flooding and erosion wasn't the ABCA's only work during the late 1970s. The Conservation Authority was supplying trees for windbreaks and developing a new entrance way, gatehouse, washrooms, picnic pavilion and playground at picturesque Rock Glen Conservation Area. Today, Ontario is making fitness a top priority. Back in 1978, the ABCA was creating a fitness trail at Clinton.. The ABCA planted its largest number of trees up to that point thanks to a reforestation program. There were 40,000 trees planted on private land and 120,000 trees planted on Conservation Authority lands in 1978. More than 100,000 tree seedlings were planted in local Conservation Areas in 1980. The ABCA was making important purchases of land at that time including the 90 -acre Mystery Falls wood- land in the Ausable Gorge and an Exeter property downstream of the bridge on Highway 4. One of the significant activities during those years was the initiation of a Watershed Plan in 1980. This effort would update the mammoth 1949 report pre- pared by the Ontario Department of Planning and Development. The ABCA was continuing to fulfill its original mandates while also creating a plan for the future. The plan addressed program areas including flooding, soil erosion, water supply, water quality, recreation, forestry, environmen- tally -significant areas (ESAs), fish and wildlife and cultural and historical resources. The late 1970s were a time of great change worldwide but in the Ausable and Bayfield watersheds, the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority continued its work to DAVIN HEINBUCK ABCA LANDS AND WATER TECHNOLOGIST conserve the environment and protect life and property. Thirty years later, the ABCA is still active working on nature trails for physical activity, administering regulations related to flooding, guiding projects to manage erosion, improving conservation areas and planting trees. The music and fashion of the 1970s has come and gone (and come again) and the ABCA's job has contin- ued. The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority has worked with municipalities, schools and other environ- mental partners to create 'Sixty Projects for Sixty Years,' as part of the ABCA 60th Anniversary in 2006. The ABCA is holding a finale for its anniversary cele- brations on Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. at Morrison Dam Conservation Area near Exeter with the unveiling of the inaugural Watershed Report Card.