The Working Centre unveils plans to create 40 new housing units in downtown Kitchener
The Working Centre in Kitchener has unveiled plans to create 40 new housing units for people experiencing chronic homelessness at their 97 Victoria Street property.
The address, located directly across the street from what is now Waterloo region’s largest encampment, is currently home to St. John’s Kitchen. The soup kitchen provides access to meals, laundry, showers, health services and harm reduction supplies for people in need.
A point-in-time count done in September 2021 found that 1,085 people were experiencing some form of homelessness in Waterloo Region.
The Working Centre co-founder Joe Mancini said over 1,000 people eat at St. John’s Kitchen every month. The new vision for the 97 Victoria will create a place people can live safely and with dignity, he said.
"The need for this kind of housing is very high, if you just look around me here, this encampment demonstrates there's 50 people right here that would to have a decent place to live," Mancini told CTV News.
(The Working Centre)
The planned redevelopment would see 97 Victoria transformed into a “campus-style” cluster of common areas, service spaces and housing, The Working Centre said.
St. John’s Kitchen would be expanded, and there would be access to healthcare and mental health supports on-site.
While the project's website says the development will include 38 units, Mancini said they've been able to squeeze a few more in for an even 40, since things are still in the planning phase.
The project is a partnership between The Working Centre and Perimeter Development Corporation and BNKC Architects.
Its $19 million price tag is expected to be mostlly covered by government grants and private contributions.
Perimeter Development has contributed $1 million “to kick off the capital campaign.” According to the project’s website, organizers are hoping to raise an additional $5 million from donations.
The Working Centre hopes to have the first residents move into the new space in December 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing A bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.