Councillor questions if County should be in the affordable housing business

Administrator | Jan 20, 2026 | Comments 9

By Sharon Harrison
“At some point, we need to ask ourselves the question: if we are not getting affordable housing built, should the municipality be in the business of affordable housing?” asked councillor Bill Roberts at council.

He raised the question at last week’s meeting as council was about to approve the report of the Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation Board’s December meeting.

Roberts said he was looking for guidance, directing his question to the councillors who sit on the board (councillors Phil St-Jean (chair), Brad Nieman (vice-chair), John Hirsch, Sam Grosso and Kate MacNaughton).

Roberts referenced the information contained in the board meeting’s “action tracker”, noting how promised news, along with a promised report, would be forthcoming before the end of last year, but has not as yet materialized.

“There was lots there about important process and about necessary procedural activities, but I was looking for some evidence of what we were told we would be seeing by the end of 2025, is some material evidence that we are on our way to a private-public partnership of some kind that will bear results,” said Roberts.

“What I didn’t see was any evidence in the action tracker that referred to, or referenced or even anticipated, some kind of material development around a private partner or P3 partner, and this goes back to something discussed last year that something was imminent, and we were to be patient, and it could happen before the end of 2025.”

“At some point, even I, who was intimately involved, and pushed hard for the creation of the Affordable Housing Corporation, will have to ask, after seven years, have we demonstrated that the municipality should not be in the affordable housing business?”

In October 2025, The Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation reported it is in debt, and seeking more information about partnership possibilities for its two affordable housing construction projects it oversees: the Niles Street project at the former arena location in Wellington, and the Disraeli Street project in Picton.

The Affordable Housing Corporation states the former Wellington Duke Dome site “continues its pre-construction work toward affordable housing” with no current update on the website. Planned was a 36-unit multi-residential building. The development was to include a mix of of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as four townhomes with three bedrooms each.

Last known information states a 12-unit multi-residential modular building on Disraeli Street to include six bachelor and six one-bedroom units in a partnership project with Tyendinaga First Nations. The units were to be filled by youth on the housing waiting list with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.

St-Jean and Nieman both joined the Affordable Housing Corporation three years ago, in 2022, as council’s representatives.

St-Jean outlined how an RFP (request for proposal) was issued for the Disraeli Street project to an Ottawa-based company, Theberge Developments Limited, which he and Nieman, along with three others, spent the day Tuesday in Ottawa.

They visited with Theberge, their offices, a site under construction, and they saw modular components being installed, and then saw an exact duplicate copy of what is to be built at Disraeli Street.

“We had an excellent conversation with Jeremy [Silburt – project lead] about all of the steps we need to do to work within that project, and I am not sure how much more I can say without violating that closed conversation, because part of today was closed as well because we actually had a quorum with us.”

In response to the lack of a report or any concrete update highlighted by Roberts, St-Jean re-assured that there will be a very full report coming, outlining the actions of this term of council’s representatives on the committee since 2022.

“I’m not going to put a date on it because it’s a work-in-progress, and I don’t want to represent the housing corporation without having the clear facts, and something good that I can share,” said St-Jean.

“I will admit there has not been a lot of good things come our way, and I really very much want to share some of the stuff that I already know; and it’s limiting what we are allowed to say because we are a separate corporation, a separate entity from council. However, we do owe council some form of report, and I do plan on bringing that.”

St-Jean added he is concerned there will be far more questions, and very poor answers, if more things aren’t completed.

“But after today’s meetings, I am extremely confident that we are heading in the right direction here. As usual, I will say our biggest challenge is finding the funding, whether it’s through federal, provincial or even private funding sources – that is our biggest hurdle right now. The rest of it, I am feeling pretty damn good about.”

Nieman reported he was also feeling optimistic about progress, especially after the meeting with Theberge.

“I will say, for the first four years, I was pretty vocal in trying to move that along, which was one of the reasons I wanted on the committee, so I could hopefully help,” shared Nieman. “I can say, after today’s events, I have felt better than I have in seven years regarding this.”

Nieman said what they learned is going to be useful in moving the project along. “I’m feeling very good, and along with councillor St-Jean, we are making huge steps right here.”

Mayor Steve Ferguson said that having met the new members on the board, they are “certainly excited and enthusiastic, and bring expertise”, and he looks forward to seeing the report.

MacNaughton also referenced the new public members (Ted Elborn, Mark Guslits, Penny Morris and Hilary Spriggs) and the amount of expertise they bring and how they have big plans.

“They’ve got an extraordinary complimentary skill set collection that I am impressed and encouraged by, and they have a lot of angles covered, so it really does look like a powerful team,” she shared. “And I think they are not only going to have good news, but good legs built for those future projects that Phil (St-Jean) mentioned.”

St-Jean also spoke to the Niles Street property in Wellington that has been “dragging for a very great many reasons”. From the conversations that took place, he said he is confident it will help build on what the potential is, and make it a lot easier to see some forward progression with the Niles Street property as well.

“In my heart, I am hoping this is the easy win of the two that will lay the foundation for us to be able to move through the Niles Street at a much faster pace, and get it done, so that we can see some more progress and get people moved into apartments as we have promised for seven years,” shared St-Jean. “It’s been a long project, it’s not just one tiny little project.”

Roberts said he was glad he asked the question.

“I appreciate that the chair and the vice-chair are immensely optimistic and feeling strong about, and I look forward to that presentation.”

As far as timing is concerned for the forthcoming report, St-Jean said they were targeting the Feb. 24 council meeting.

“But I’m not going to pin us down on that because there are some components to that report, again, I want to bring you some good news, and I don’t want something to be hanging out there. If it’s not complete, I am not going to talk about it.”

The Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation Board meeting minutes of Dec. 8, along with the agenda of the Jan. 12 meeting containing the Theberge proposal can be found on the County’s website.