Stories

Intensifying impact

Sometimes the answers to our most pressing problems are in our own backyards.

That’s certainly the case for Stoney Creek Community Homes (SCCH), an independent non-profit housing corporation tackling the affordable housing crisis by replacing some of the aging townhomes on its property in upper Stoney Creek with a new building that will include around 50 affordable units. The project will include a comprehensive public consultation process.

“Intensification is an important tool in the affordable housing toolbox,” says Yulena Wan, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer at HCF. “Most of us think of building on new land, which tends to be more expensive and take longer.”

“Land is very scarce,” says Dave Hall, executive director of SCCH. “This is a five-acre site with good access to transit, close to a mall and two schools. Intensification makes sense here.”

The new, energy-efficient building will enhance life for tenants: cozy in winter, cool in summer, with lower utility bills, enhanced security and no outdoor maintenance. The mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units will enable aging in place, and some units will be fully accessible. The existing playground will be improved.

Displaced tenants will be provided with comparable accommodation during construction and given first pick of apartments when the new building opens.

An impact investment from HCF will finance some of the pre-construction costs. Co-ordination with the City of Hamilton’s Housing Secretariat is helping to reduce timelines and the cost of permits and by-law amendments. The building will include rent-geared-to-income, affordable market rent, and market rent units. Increasing the supply of different types of units is important to meet diverse housing needs and frees up affordable units for others as those needs change.

“An organization of our size couldn’t take on such a large endeavour without support,” says Jessie Vincent, director of operations for SCCH. “HCF’s loan gives us the courage to take the risk.”

“We have a dream to grow,” Dave says. “Grow the number of affordable units in the city, grow our own internal capacity, and grow the stock of high-quality homes for our tenants. It’s a win-win-win.”

Excerpt from 2024-25 annual report