Help for Hope Centre put on hold by council
One week after approving a $44,307 break on The Hope Centre’s new $3-million, two-storey, 20-unit affordable housing complex, Welland council pulled its support Tuesday night.
The agency was looking for building permit fees and site exemption plan fees of $13,849 to be waived and a partnership contribution to the project from the city in the amount of $30,458.
“The only issue I have with this is that it should be going through the budget process. Handing out money from someone making a presentation is not a good idea,” said Ward 1 Coun. Mary Ann Grimaldi, who, along with
Couns. Claudette Richard and Bonnie Fokkens, voted against the break last week.
She said it would set a precedent and others would come in and expect to be given money based on a presentation.
“I don’t believe it will cause them any harm,” Grimaldi said of turning down the Hope Centre’s request.
Ward 2 Coun. David McLeod said while he understood and shared concerns over the budget process being followed, he believed council was in a position to make a decision that didn’t necessarily follow the process.
“The Hope Centre did not have the funding in place for this project at budget time. The need is great … we heard there’s a sixyear waiting list in Welland. This project puts 20 units into the community,” McLeod said.
And while he preferred the budget process, he said it wasn’t an option and that for every $1 the city gave, the agency would be able to leverage that to $3 for the project and make it a reality.
At last week’s committee meeting, Sarah Phillips, an affordable housing and project management services specialist working on behalf of the Hope Centre, said if the funding levels required to be met were not achieved, funding for the project could be reduced.
When the project came together, 75 per cent of the cost was being borne by Niagara Region through the Home for Good program, with the Hope Centre kicking in the other 25 per cent.
With a decrease in funding the Hope Centre would see an increased mortgage.
Ward 4 Coun. Pat Chiocchio said there need for affordable housing in the community is great and was in support of giving the Hope Centre a break.
“This is about people’s lives … we should assist in any way we can,” he said.
Ward 4 Coun. Tony DiMarco asked how much the agency has already received from the city and was told $60,000 was given in
the form a grant in the 2018 budget. “We have to draw the line somewhere,” DiMarco said who was opposed to the funding, and added he felt the city had already given the agency enough.
Ward 3 Coun. John Chiocchio said the decision was a tough one.
While he agreed with the budget process, he said giving the Hope Centre the break was an investment in the community, the area and the building.
Ward 6 Coun. Jim Larouche was in support of the break and said it was an easy vote.
“This is about putting a roof over the vulnerable in our community,” he said.
Council referred the request to the 2019 budget process and the Hope Centre will have to ask for a capital grant request by midSeptember.