A group looking to finish building a supportive housing project in Guelph will have to wait a little while longer before receiving any financial help from the city.
Members of the Home for Good Campaign put in a request to the city. A motion was brought forward at Tuesday’s city council meeting that would see the city pledge up to $500,000 from the Affordable Housing Reserve towards a matching funds program for the Shelldale supportive housing project.
The program would start Aug. 1 and run until March 31, 2024. The idea was brought up after a similar campaign by the Home for Good campaign was held last year where the city matched all public donations up to $500,000.
In a letter signed by United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin executive director Glenna Banda and Chris Willard, executive director of the Guelph Community Foundation, and addressed to Mayor Cam Guthrie, they said because they were unable to meet a commitment on June 15 and are worried about missing another one on Aug. 15, they are seeking bridge funding from the city.
“Other funding commitments are tied to these timelines,” said Willard. “That is why we’ve prioritized them and are trying hard to fulfill them.”
But Coun. Dominique O’Rourke asked for and received approval from her peers to have the request referred back to staff and for a report to be brought forward to council at an emergency meeting to be held at a later date.
“The timeline to consider this was very short, and in fact, staff didn’t have an opportunity to see whether there was a better process,” said O’Rourke. “Everyone wants to get to ‘yes,’ everyone wants to figure out how we do that properly.”
Guthrie admitted that this request was brought forward on short notice given council would be adjourning for the summer after the meeting and won’t return until Sept. 26.
Banda, Willard and Daria Allan-Ebron, CEO of Kindle Communities, faced questions from council about the request, the project and how the funds will be used. Despite the track record of the organization, some on council were still not comfortable about releasing the funds to the campaign.
“I need to feel solid in my decision-making. I need to see staff reports and analysis,” said Coun. Linda Busuttil. “Going through the process, I felt very uncomfortable about it. I cannot, in good faith, support it. I could if there was a formal, transparent, open and fair communicated process where everyone has a fair opportunity.”
In the end, Willard wasn’t worried, saying he understood where council was coming from.
“This comes to due diligence and being able to have everyone accountable for the decision.”
O’Rourke reiterated council’s commitment to supportive as well as affordable and attainable housing in Guelph. She said it is really a matter of making sure all funding decisions are on record.
“All the information is publicly available. People can go back a couple of years and see exactly why we made that decision.”
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