After multiple delays, foundation work will resume at an affordable housing project at 993 Maxwell Street in Sarnia this week with occupancy now projected to begin by the end of the year.
Acting Manager of Housing Services Melisa Johnson said there have been a few delays -- some of which were due to factors affecting the building sector as a whole while others were specific to this project. Foundation issues were identified on site in the summer of 2022.
"When they were ready to resume the foundation work it was in the winter months, so because of those weather factors, the foundation work was delayed. We are happy to report that the foundation work is expected to resume this week," Johnson said. "They're already on site doing some water removal in the hole that's there and, once that water is removed, the foundation will resume."
A report recently accepted during a county committee meeting said construction of the modules was also postponed while foundation issues were being resolved.
As it stands, 28 of the 54 modules have been completed and have been stored at an off-site location and will be moved to Maxwell Park Place once the foundation work is complete. The remaining modules are expected to be completed this spring.
At this time, the project is estimated to cost $7 million, which is an increase of nearly $400,000 compared to initial estimates. However, additional government funding received last year did help offset some of the costs.
Occupancy at the three-storey expansion was pushed back to March 2023 but Johnson said the current timeline is now aimed at the end of 2023.
"We are hopeful that we could have occupancy prior to that but just given some of the factors we have experienced over the last year or so, we think that the end of 2023 is a more realistic expectation for occupancy," she said.
The original housing build of Maxwell Park Place was dedicated to seniors and those eligible for "March of Dimes Canada" supportive housing. As specified in the report, the new addition will continue to serve those populations.
The build will add 24 affordable housing units in the community and although it helps, Johnson said it doesn't make a dent in the overall need.
"We had a report commissioned in 2021 that indicated we needed about 2,500 new affordable units to meet the need in our community," said Johnson. "So it's not a solution to our homeless crisis or our affordable housing crisis but it is a step in the right direction."
One of the key milestones set out by the County of Lambton's Housing and Homelessness Plan is that 75 more affordable housing units will be built by 2024, with help from government investments.