In an effort to spur more rental and affordable housing, and encourage employment business growth, municipal officials are looking to create a Community Improvement Plan that would hopefully encourage developers to look at Chatham-Kent as a place to build.
The plan features rebates of property tax increases for a variety of commercial and residential buildings, rebates of building and planning fees, partial exemptions for development charges, facade improvements, residential conversion and affordable housing grants.
With a growing population—albeit slowly, and a big need for affordable housing in the municipality, councillors praised the plan, saying it was needed to help get developers interested in building apartments in Chatham-Kent and increase the supply of affordable housing.
Chatham-Kent will gather public feedback and then council will look to discuss and possibly approve the Community Improvement Plan at their March 2 council meeting.
