New Foundations is a City of Barrie initiative that offers owners of institutionally designated properties the chance to apply for support to undertake an affordable housing feasibility study. Each feasibility study:
- Provides a vision for building affordable housing on a property;
- Outlines the practical steps needed to turn that vision into reality; and,
- Is worth approximately $20,000.
Online applications were accepted in February 2022. As of September 2023, eight sites have received funding for a total of $154,065.56. For the latest update, please refer to the October 2023 Update on the New Foundations Project (memo to City Council).
Feasibility Study Purpose
The purpose of the feasibility studies was to identify the highest and best use of the selected sites, while taking into consideration the type of development each landowner was interested in constructing; the unit type, tenure, how much of their existing site they wanted to provide for development and the neighbourhood context.
The studies provide an independent preliminary exploration in determining the merits and viability of development while examining all aspects of the project, including alignment with the City of Barrie policy framework (Zoning By-law and Official Plan), technical, economic, and environmental and site constraints.
Development Services Work
Staff in Development Services work with landowners to help facilitate connections with builders, operators or other interested parties to help advance their developments. Staff also develop relationships with service providers and non-profit organizations to further understand issues of affordability and create additional partnerships with landowners to bring affordable housing developments to fruition.
The City has shared the feasibility studies with the County of Simcoe in hopes of finding an opportunity to partner or provide financial supports (grants) to move these projects forward. City staff continue to look for funding opportunities and partnerships to support the New Foundations initiatives. Should the City be successful with the grant application through the Federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), there may be an opportunity to use the funding received to advance the concept plans to architectural designs for building permit submission.
Should any of the landowners wish to proceed with the development concepts identified in the feasibility studies, a pre-consultation with the Development Services Department is the required next step. Pre-consultations provide landowners with detailed information related to future formal development application requirements, conformity with Provincial and City policies and standards, as well as servicing, design and financial requirements for obtaining appropriate planning approval(s). There are no planning application fees for affordable housing projects.
Background
In March 2021, the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force was established to prepare a plan to co-ordinate County, City, and charitable/not-for-profit housing projects and policies to aggressively expand the supply of affordable housing, with particular emphasis on addressing the hardest to house.
A variety of recommendations came from this Task Force, one of which was to hire a consultant to prepare feasibility studies for lands zoned ‘Institutional’ and places of worship, to explore what types of affordable housing developments may be able to be constructed on these sites along with the existing institutional or place of worship use. City Council adopted motion 21-G-205 to direct staff and begin the New Foundations initiative.