It was a project used to illustrate the Federal Government's commitment to accelerated housing projects.
Just over a year after that announcement, officials from all levels of government gathered in the three-storey brick building at 345 Sylvan St. to celebrate its grand opening.
Forty of the 42 units are already occupied. John McCallum moved in in October, "I'm happy. I don't have any challenges here at all."
It was on Sept. 13, 2023, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used 345 Sylvan St. as a launching point for a new $4 billion housing accelerator fund.
At the time, he praised Mayor Josh Morgan and the City of London team for their work on expediting new housing projects, "I want to challenge other mayors right across the country to step up with their proposals."
Communities across the country have been struggling with low housing supply, particularly affordable housing. The problem has been complicated by supply chain pressures, high interest rates, and soaring inflation.
London’s mayor said one of the keys was improving the approval path for projects, "We took cost and time out of the process. We sped up processes. We made sure we were only asking for the things we truly needed to ask for. Scott Mathers and his team in the city have really streamlined the development process."
Morgan said that also required assistance from the federal and provincial governments. Representatives from both levels of senior government were on hand for the grand opening.
"Our government is investing heavily in infrastructure because, as we know, pipes in the ground lead to more homes. The City of London in particular is getting $24 million for wastewater housing-enabling infrastructure to help unlock 17,000 more housing units,” said Matthew Rae, Ontario’s Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “So, the quicker we can do that - get more pipes in the ground, get more housing, enabling infrastructure across Ontario - the more homes we're going to see come online."
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister of Housing Peter Fragiskatos said his government took steps to improve affordability, "One of the reasons that you have cranes across the community is because apartments are being built, and that's because GST was lifted."
Many of the new tenants at 345 Sylvan St. were described as unhoused, or on the verge of being unhoused, like John McCallum, "I was in someone's basement, so that was not appropriate. Time to move."
Those on the frontlines supporting at-risk individuals say new builds allow for better security and supports for tenants.
“We're very conscious of providing the right supports for tenants to be successful. So, by increasing the housing stock pressure, by making sure we have the right supports, we make sure tenants are successful,” said Paul Chisholm, London Middlesex Community Housing CEO.
The total cost of the Sylvan Street project came in at about $22 million, with approximately $14 million combined from the feds and the province, and $8 million from the city.
