By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
County council will be provided with a fully updated accounting on the number of Northumberland County Housing Corporation housing units are in each of the county’s seven member municipalities.
The request was the result of an item on council’s Social Services Committee meeting Wednesday – acceptance of the NCHC meeting minutes for November. Councillor Lucas Cleveland (not a member of the committee but sitting in) asked into what category the fourth-floor transitional-housing units at the homeless shelter at 310 Division St., Cobourg, might fall.
Acting Chief Administrative Officer Glenn Dees said they are not associated in any way with NCHC. They are rented out based on separate rental agreements with individuals carefully selected for their readiness to move on to a more stable housing situation (to which end the county provides supportive services).
“I do believe they pay a nominal amount for the accommodations as they move forward through those transitional units and hopefully into more permanent housing,” Dees said.
“How many rent-geared-to-income units are currently available in the Town of Cobourg vs. Throughout the county?” Cleveland asked.
“Based on quick math, over 200 in the Town of Cobourg, and various rent-supplement and subsidy programs,” Associate Director of Housing and Homelessness Rebecca Snelgrove replied.
“That does not include units currently under construction, which would add another 80-odd units between market and affordable and some rent-geared-to-income.”
There was a report on this a year ago, Snelgrove added, offering to compile an updated report.
“Our dashboard is updated on a regular basis with information and projections on what is currently in the works,” she added.
“Based on my last recollection, 250 units are in some phase of planning for development over the next three years – predominantly NCHC but other nonprofits as well.”
Committee chair John Logel asked for the report to include a breakdown by municipality.
