‘We’re desperate for it’: Chatham-Kent clears path for affordable housing with former school demolition

St. Agnes Elementary School is being torn down to build housing, after decades of being closed. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell reports.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is moving forward with plans to demolish the former St. Agnes Catholic School building at 55 Croydon Street in Chatham to pave the way for future affordable housing developments.

The decision, made earlier this month, follows the acquisition of the property in August 2024, with the intent to utilize the site for supportive and affordable housing projects.

“The bottom line is we need more supportive housing in Chatham-Kent,” said Chatham-Kent Councillor Alysson Storey. “We’re desperate for it.”

Initially, the plan was to retain the newer gymnasium section of the school while demolishing the older structures. However, after a comprehensive assessment, it was determined that demolishing the entire building, including the gymnasium, would be more cost-effective and provide greater flexibility for future development.

“We have a growing number of people falling into homelessness,” said Storey.

“We have a growing number of homeless encampments. And really, the only way we can start to address those is supportive housing. We need every single available bed for supportive housing that we can possibly build in Chatham-Kent. Having properties like the former St. Agnes property ready to go is really important.”

The demolition contract has been awarded to Salandria Ltd. of Mississauga with a bid of $188,458, including HST. Additionally, a Designated Substance Survey (DSS) was conducted by Pinchin Ltd. at a cost of $31,785 plus HST, as required under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act to identify and manage hazardous materials.

“It’s being demolished in order to really get the property ready to be shovel ready,” stated fellow Ward 6 Councillor Brock McGregor.

“As we’ve seen in the past, when the province or federal government releases funding for these types of projects, they want shovel ready properties, projects that are ready to go. So, we want to make sure that this property is in shape to be shovel ready, should we see those announcements come in the near future.”

According to a report, the total cost for the demolition after HST rebates amounts to $202,056.69, which officials said aligns with the $200,000 estimate outlined in the 2025 Approved Capital Budget for affordable housing development projects.

“We have significant need,” McGregor continued.

“In 2024, our centralized waitlist for affordable housing increased by 34 per cent. So, we’ve got 1,400 households in Chatham-Kent that are in need of deeply affordable housing. This is one small component of addressing that issue.”

A forthcoming report will present specific affordable housing development options for the site, seeking further direction from council.

“We really are exploring any opportunity that we see in the municipality to look for locations that housing can go and we’re hopeful that we start to see some support from senior levels of government,” McGregor said.

Both McGregor and Storey agreed former school properties are ideal for such housing proposals since many of those locations are already serviced and established in existing neighbourhoods.

“We’re going to continue to do our part and work as hard as we can from a municipal point of view, but we really need partners in the province and federal government to step up and start helping,” said McGregor.

“It’s not a financial burden the municipality can bear alone. So, we’re really getting all of our ducks in a row, getting everything ready, in hopes that we can be successful in some of these funding programs and chip away at the need in our community. I think that is a logical place to look for proposals like this.”

She added that schools are typically on transit lines and are well situated in neighbourhoods.

“They’re close to amenities, they’re walkable neighborhoods,” she said.

“Often folks who are moving into supportive transitional housing do not have personal vehicles. So, making sure that we set them up for success. But I do think in many communities, former school properties are attractive places to consider proposals like this.”

Storey acknowledged that every neighbourhood is different, so proper reviews are necessary. But she said they are a great property to start the search for affordable housing locations.