CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH OFFERS SPACE TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

On Dec. 31 2025, Christ Lutheran Church proposed to add townhomes to its vacant lot at Anndale Rd. and Lexington Rd. to help move the Waterloo Region out of its current housing crisis. Christ Lutheran Church had a long-held vision for the future use of the site, which included an opportunity to explore new housing options. The proposal to add 57 rental townhomes to its three-acre lot has been put into action, with some challenge from residents.  

“Neighbours and community members have continued to engage with us directly, and the city is also receiving input through its formal channels…We are taking all of this input into account through the ongoing review process of the application with our team and the city,” Carly Forrester, Director of Development and Planning at Kindred Works, said.   

Kindred Works, a Toronto-based rental housing design firm, was engaged to evaluate what could be supported on the portion of the property identified for redevelopment. This work has informed the low-rise residential proposal currently advancing through the zoning process.  

“Some residents have raised concerns about height—the proposal is for two-three storeys, similar to the nearby homes to the north and northeast, and much shorter than the six-storey retirement residence to the south across the street. Other concerns raised include the number of homes, potential impacts on traffic, parking and greenspace,” Forrester said.   

The church has occupied the mostly vacant land since 1974. The plan involves retaining the original church building, while Kindred Works develops around it. Christ Lutheran Church transferred its property to its development partner for a total of two dollars in September 2025.   

“We have also received support for the proposal, including the addition of purpose-built rental housing with non-market and family-sized units, adding much needed housing to the community, the fact the building is designed to be zero-carbon, and the retention of the existing community building,” Forrester said.   

This project aligns with the Region of Waterloo’s Homes for All initiative, which is a part of the Waterloo Region’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.  

“The project is still in the zoning process, and the timeline will be shaped by the results of this phase and the municipal review process. We are eager to complete this project as soon as practical to deliver much needed housing to the community,” Forrester said.  

Renovate or Replace: The Fight Over How to Fix N.Y.C. Public Housing

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/nyregion/fight-escalates-over-plan-to-demolish-and-rebuild-nyc-public-housing.html

TOWNHILL: Social housing developer plans 27 affordable homes on derelict nursery site

A derelict plot in Townhill — one of Wales’s oldest council-built communities — could be about to get a new lease of life, with plans lodged for 27 affordable apartments on land that has sat empty since the demolition of a nursery school more than a decade ago.

The proposal, submitted by Swansea planning agents Asbri Planning, would see the former Bryn Nursery School site at the junction of Townhill Road and Tower Gardens transformed into a 100% affordable housing development — every home ring-fenced for people who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market.

Behind the scheme is Castell Group, a Swansea Vale-based developer that specialises in affordable and social housing across south Wales, working with registered social landlords including Caredig and Hafod.

The site has a long and frustrated planning history. Bryn Nursery School closed in 2005 and was demolished around 2011, leaving a vacant brownfield plot on one of Townhill’s main roads. Earlier proposals for a 58-bed care home were approved but never built. In 2021, budget supermarket chain Heron Foods — owned by B&M — twice applied to build a small express-format store on the site, only for both applications to be refused by Swansea Council on retail and highway grounds. The land has remained empty ever since.

The development would sit in a neighbourhood with a particular place in Welsh housing history. Townhill — built on the hillside above the city from the 1920s onwards — was one of the first purpose-built council communities in Wales, planned to provide decent homes for Swansea’s working-class population at a time when much of the city’s housing was overcrowded and inadequate. A century on, the demand for affordable homes here hasn’t gone away.

The proposed development would comprise 17 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments across several two and three storey brick-built blocks with pitched roofs, in keeping with the surrounding streets. The site — currently overgrown scrubland that has regenerated since the old nursery came down — is just 150 metres from Townhill’s local centre, within walking distance of shops, a pharmacy, a library and a primary school, and close to bus services into Swansea city centre and Morriston Hospital.

The scheme has already been through informal discussions with Swansea Council, which confirmed that the principle of residential development here was acceptable. The original proposal was for 33 units, but this was reduced to 27 following council feedback about the site’s proximity to Tower Court — a supported independent living scheme for older residents next door. A flat roof design was also rejected by planners who noted that the surrounding area is entirely pitched-roof in character.

The plans include 22 parking spaces, secure cycle storage, extensive landscaping and tree planting, sustainable urban drainage, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

The public consultation runs until 24 April 2026.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Plans submitted for new Townhill budget supermarket
Heron Foods submitted plans for an express-format B&M store on the former Bryn Nursery School site in 2021 — both applications were refused.

More Townhill news from Swansea Bay News
The latest news and features from the Townhill area.

AISD one step closer to affordable teacher housing

For years Austin ISD has talked about bringing teacher housing to the district at the Anita Coy Facility and now construction is underway.

https://www.kxan.com/news/aisd-one-step-closer-to-affordable-teacher-housing/

#News #Austin #Education #Local #Texas #TopStories #AffordableHousing #Aisd #Anitacoy #AustinIsd #Cheaprent #Prices #School

The FED - Ontario #Housing announcement yesterday is not a silver bullet that will solve Ontario's dismal performance in housing starts, despite throwing $8.8B at the problem. Developers and builders will likely get the biggest benefit from the funding.

From the article: "Carney said he expects competitive forces in the market will push developers to pass on cost savings from the development charge relief to homebuyers."

Seriously?

#OnPoli #AffordableHousing
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/feds-ontario-pool-8-8b-for-housing-infrastructure-to-cut-development-fees/ar-AA1ZJ3oh