Trent Hills seeks provincial housing grant

$1.9 million from new fund could spur Hastings construction

In an effort to help a Hastings project get under way, Trent Hills is applying for $1.9 million from a provincial fund designed to speed up housing construction.

At its meeting on Tuesday, April 9, council voted to apply for a grant from the Housing-Enabling Water System Fund to help pay for improvements to the water and sewer systems on Front Street West in Hastings.

“Upgrades to the core infrastructure components on Front Street West as well as in and around the water treatment plant property have the ability to promote development of three separate properties in the immediate area to enable the construction of up to 153 residential units,” said a report by Lynn Phillips, Chief Administrative Officer. “The three properties that will benefit from these servicing upgraded include one approved subdivision and two other developments currently in the planning process.”

To spur housing construction, the province announced a $200-million water system funding program in January and in late March it added an extra $685-million to the program. Phillips said the municipality examined all developments currently under way in its area and the Hastings location was the only one that met the timing criteria set out by the province.  Work must start by September 30 this year and be completed by March 31, 2027.

If a project is approved by the province, it will pay 73 per cent of the cost. In this case, Trent Hills would be responsible for $713,087 of the $2.6 million total, which Phillips said would be covered by development fees when the units are built.

Stephen White, Chief Building Officer, said the project would upgrade the sanitary, water, and stormwater systems, which would benefit existing houses as well as any new construction.

The work will be contracted by the developers and some contracts have already been signed, he said. “Those costs came in quite high and that put this development at a standstill at this point. This fund would enable the developer to go forward and build homes.”

If the province does not fund the project, the developer will be responsible for the entire cost.