Community walk to support new supportive housing project

Dozens of people laced up Sunday afternoon to support a former Kitchener church that’s being transformed into affordable housing.

The event, titled “Moving for Good: The Walk to End Chronic Homelessness”, involved a two kilometre trek around the Cherry Park neighbourhood.

Money raised from the walk will be donated to the Indwell Project, which is converting St. Mark’s Lutheran Church into a supportive housing facility.

Construction on the King Street West property began in 2021.

Some features of the building, like the stained glass windows, have been preserved. Other items, like the pews, have been cleared out to make room for the 43 units which will include a mix of studio, one bedroom and barrier-free apartments.

Rent is expected to be $550 a month, about what someone on disability or social assistance would be able to afford.

On-site services will also be offered, including health supports and meals.

Indwell is working with the Region of Waterloo to determine who will be offered the units.

Construction on the $16.5 million project is supposed to wrap up sometime this fall.

Similar efforts are also underway at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in downtown Kitchener and the Grand River Hotel in Cambridge.

-- With reporting by CTV's Spencer Turcotte