Affordable housing projects hit roadblock

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Two affordable housing projects are going back to the drawing board.

At the most recent Stratford city council meeting on Nov. 24, council voted to cancel the request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) for two City of Stratford-led affordable housing projects at 38 Coriano St. and 161 East Gore St.

The two locations are surplus properties in the city’s purview and were tapped to be transformed into affordable housing units. At the May 27 meeting, council had unanimously voted to start negotiations with Pol Quality Homes, which proposed building 18 affordable housing units at the Gore Street location (managed and maintained at affordable rates for 40 years) and nine units held withing three triplexes (all at market rates) at the Coriano Street location.

“Pol was selected due to their history of both building and managing affordable housing in mixed-market developments, their willingness to increase density on the sites, and the lack of zoning changes and site plans needed to achieve their vision,” a May 27 staff report reads. “This creates an expedited timeline with a trusted developer at the helm.”

Chief administrative officer (CAO) André Morin told council that the recent cancellation has nothing to do with Pol Quality Homes.

“I think they've done great work on this project,” Morin explained the evening of Nov. 24. “It's really around us and the legalities around the Municipal Act and procurement, trying to understand what the best path forward is on this project. So again, all the work that they've done up until now – it's been fantastic. We look forward to working with them in the future. With that being said, our next step is to bring this back internally.”

Speaking with the Times after the meeting, Morin did not give any more details on the decision or what about the previous process necessitated cancellation, but did give the following written statement:

“The City of Stratford values the outstanding contributions of Pol Quality Homes in creating affordable housing and their strong commitment to our community,” Morin wrote. “The decision to cancel the RFEOI agreements for the East Gore and Coriano Street properties was made to ensure full compliance with the Municipal Act and related procurement requirements. This step is not a reflection on Pol Quality Homes or on our shared ability to reach fair, collaborative agreements. We thank Daryl Pol and his team for their dedication and work to date on this project.

“Moving forward, the city will reevaluate the process and bring forward an updated strategy to advance our affordable housing goals. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with our community partners on our shared goal of accessible housing for all.”

Morin indicated that an update on these properties and other affordable housing projects will be provided in the new year.