An affordable housing development in Wallaceburg could be one step closer to reality.
At their meeting Monday night, Chatham-Kent Council is expected to vote on awarding a $30.9-million construction contract to S.E.M. Construction Limited for the proposed development at 199 Westcourt Boulevard in Wallaceburg.
The five-storey apartment building would include 72 units consisting of 37 one-bedroom units, 25 two-bedroom units, and five each of three-bedroom and four-bedroom units.
According to the report going before council, the development supports the municipality’s housing supply targets established through its Housing Accelerator Fund agreement with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Of the 72 units, 50 would be offered at affordable or deeply affordable rents, while the remaining 22 units would be rented at attainable market rates. The report states the mixed-rent model reflects the range of housing needs in Wallaceburg and helps support the project’s long-term financial sustainability.
The project has been in development since 2021 and would be municipally owned and operated. Administration says the development would help address growing demand for affordable housing in Chatham-Kent, where 1,455 households are currently on the centralized waiting list. Approximately 23 per cent of applicants are seeking housing in Wallaceburg. If approved, it would mark the first new community housing development in Wallaceburg since the town received funding through the Ontario Housing Corporation in the 1980s.
Along with the construction contract, council will also vote on several funding and financing recommendations for the build, including:
- approving $658,019 in consulting fees for Barry Bryan Associates,
- using $2.53 million from the CK Housing New Construction Reserve,
- allocating $5.62 million in provincial funding toward 50 affordable units,
- using $440,000 from the province’s 2026 Building Faster Fund,
- and authorizing the municipality to borrow $13 million through Infrastructure Ontario.
The borrowing would be structured as a 30-year municipal debenture to help finance the remaining cost of the project. Administration estimates the interest rate will be approximately five per cent, resulting in annual payments of roughly $842,000 over 30 years.
If approved, construction is expected to begin in July, with completion anticipated in July 2028.
