KITCHENER -- Cambridge city council voted on Wednesday night to declare two city-owned lots as surplus, meaning the Region of Waterloo could use them as affordable housing in the future.

In a release, officials said Cambridge will lease the lands to the region to create affordable housing units.

“The availability of more affordable housing is vital for our residents,” Mayor Kathryn McGarry said in the release. “Opening up these lands for participation in Canada’s Rapid Housing Initiative will bring more options, more quickly. As a Council, we’re committed to finding ways to work with the Region and to support our community. Every resident deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, and we have a collective responsibility to work together to make that happen.”

The properties include a 1.1-acre lot at Grand Ridge Drive and Cedar Creek Road and a .53-acre space at 2 Manhattan Cir.

The sites meet criteria for affordable housing, including proximity to parks and public transit, zoning and density.

The federal government has allocated $8.2 million to the region for creating at last 29 permanent housing units.