Vacant Unit Tax By-Law, Affordable Housing, Jamesville Redevelopment & More!
Dear Neighbours,
Delivering adequate and affordable housing is a commitment to the wellbeing of Hamiltonians today and for future generations. In this issue of the e-newsletter you will notice all the Council updates demonstrate progress on major housing related files for our city. We’ve also included key Ward 3 updates and events.
Thank you to the neighbours who attended Thursday’s Crown Point community meeting to discuss enhancements to Ottawa St co-hosted with Ward 4 City Councillor Tammy Hwang at the Crown & Press Cafe and Gallery. Your input will help shape the short, med and long term strategy to improve roadway safety for all users while improving community life on this vital corridor.
I look forward to connecting with residents at our upcoming events about Woodlands Park and Tim Horton’s Field in the coming week. As always, if my team and I can support you on municipal concerns, please reach out to us at ward3@hamilton.ca or at 905-546-2107.
Yours in community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Photo of Hamilton City Hall in spring with tulips out front. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates".
VACANT UNIT TAX BY-LAW APPROVED
Since 2019, I have been working steadfast with community stakeholders to establish a Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) in Hamilton. By creating a disincentive to have units remain vacant, the VUT aims to make more housing available for those who need it. The City will be charging an additional tax of one percent of a property’s assessed value, on any residential unit that is vacant for more than 183 days in a year. The revenue generated from this tax will be reinvested into City programs to strengthen housing initiatives.
At Council this week, we approved the enabling by-law to roll it out. I will also be working with Councillor McMeekin to bring forward a motion this year to increase the VUT to 3% of the assessed property value for implementation in the second year of the housing tax policy.
I appreciate the questions and concerns some have raised after the very public challenges the City of Toronto had this year in rolling out their VUT over the last two weeks. I want to assure residents that Hamilton staff are in regular communication with counterparts in all other cities that have successfully implemented their Vacant Unit Tax to ensure we get out the gate in the best way. Our city staff were also part of the provincial table to help establish the guidelines for all future cities to use to implement a VUT which was announced as part of the Provincial 2024 Budget.
My office will be preparing a how to video and will offer pop-up office hours across #OurWard3 to ensure residents can be supported in successfully completing their declaration forms. In the meantime, visit the City’s website for more information about Hamilton’s Vacant Unit Tax.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON CITY SURPLUS LANDS AT 5 & 13 LAKE AVE.
Council passed a by-law authorizing the disposition of 5 & 13 Lake Avenue South for the purpose of building affordable housing. Mayor Horwath executed the super powers established by the province to end the 8-8 tie Council was stuck on as it relates to the conversion of a portion of two municipal parking lots in Stoney Creek, previously zoned for housing in 2018.
Adequate and affordable housing remains the most pressing and urgent issue our city faces. And, it is unfortunate, that after a unanimous Council votes to address the housing crisis and approve the Housing Investment and Stability Roadmap, several Councillors abandoned the unanimity and blocked the Hamilton Housing Secretariat’s recommendation to use city-owned lands to deliver. It is also unfortunate that so much misinformation has been circulated about the recommended site.
I proudly supported the Mayor’s leadership on this issue and appreciate her directive to have staff address the concerns about parking loss and honouring veterans directly by working with the local community. And I look forward to welcoming more residents across Hamilton into new, purpose built affordable housing.
JAMESVILLE REDEVELOPMENT REVISED PROPOSAL
This week at Council, we unanimously supported the public release of a new proposal for affordable and mixed income housing from the developer of the Jamesville project in Ward 2’s North End. The proposal has been endorsed, in principle, by the City of Hamilton and City Housing Hamilton. It aims to move the settlement discussions forward so we can make a deal with CN Railway and get on with building the much needed housing on this site we all want to see.
As President of the Board for City Housing Hamilton, what matters most for me is to get a successful proposal that will settle CN’s appeal and enable us to get on with the work of demolition of the current site, finalizing the financial strategy to build new affordable housing to a standard of excellence Hamiltonians deserve.
With thanks to Councillor Kroetsch who has worked hard to deliver real community benefits while balancing the need for the project’s density and height changes for this portion of the North End. Here are some changes from the new proposal that address the many concerns raised by local community members:
Affordability - Potential for additional affordable housing units with increased height added to the Indwell and CityHousing Hamilton buildings (from 8 storeys to 12 storeys - 4 additional storeys added to each building)
Greenspace and trees - More trees will be preserved; additional greenspace added along James Street North as a result of relocating surface parking 1 / 2 underground; the existing Sunset Garden will be permanently preserved in its current form
Walkability and pedestrian access - Addition of east to west and north to south pedestrian connections; potential for commercial space at the ground level
Density and height - Potential to add an additional 20 storey building at the corner of James Street North and Strachan Street West for market housing
“The addition of a new building, potentially up to 20 storeys, will come as a surprise to many, but it will not only enable the community benefits mentioned above but will make the project financially viable for the current developer,” says Councillor Kroetsch.
If you have feedback to share about the developer’s new plan (attached), let us know. In the meantime, all of us remain hopeful that CN will do everything in its power to prevent further delays.
A aerial photo of Ward 3. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates".
BIRCH AVE CLEANING & STRUCTURAL LINING OF WATERMAINS
The City of Hamilton has a contract with Fer-Pal Construction Inc. to complete works as called for under Contract C13-03-24(2024). Construction is scheduled to commence on or about April 29, 2024 and be substantially completed by July 2024, weather permitting.
The work involves excavating pits at strategic locations to access the watermain and structurally line the existing pipe. During this time, you may experience some inconveniences such as noise, dust, and restricted traffic movement. Every effort will be made to do the work in a timely manner and to keep any inconvenience to a minimum. We ask for your patience during this period. For the duration of the project, the City of Hamilton on-site inspector will be made available to explain the sequence of work and answer any construction-related questions. If you have a medical condition or any physical conditions that may require special attention, please advise the Construction Section as soon as possible.
To make contact with the Construction Section please choose one of the following methods:
The City’s on-site inspector, Sebastian Gallego (Sebastian.Gallego@hamilton.ca)
The City’s Project Manager Tania DiCampli (Tania.DiCampli@hamilton.ca)
City of Hamilton Construction Section (constructionservices@hamilton.ca or telephone 365-324-8417)
WOODLANDS PARK COMMUNITY MEETING - APRIL 30
Please join us for a Community Meeting regarding Woodlands Park, in collaboration, with the Barton Village BIA, 541 Eatery & Exchange, and the GALA Community.
Tuesday April 30, 2024
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Westinghouse HQ, 286 Sanford Ave N
I have requested City staff to provide a comprehensive update on the impacts and path forward due to the fire damage to the washroom facility at Woodlands Park. This includes both temporary and permanent options to restore full washroom facilities and explore other enhancements.
Please save this date in your calendar and join us to have direct input on the solutions and path forward for a revitalized and renewed Woodlands Park!
In the meantime, the final tender budget has been approved to enable the construction of the spray pad, and Staff are currently on target to enable a grand opening celebration with #OurWard3 community by Labour Day this summer!
Please RSVP for the meeting by contacting ward3@hamilton.ca or by calling 905-546-2107.
Photo of the Barton Branch of the Hamilton Public Library. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Services Updates".
HAMILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY UPDATE
Since the City’s cyber security incident on February 25th, 2024, many services have been impacted by City-wide outages, including the Hamilton Public Library.
As of April 26th, 2024, Public Wi-Fi is available at most branches with the exception of the Ancaster Branch.
Website log in, self-check kiosks, sorters, public computers, printing, scanning, and Makerspaces are not available. Extended Access is cancelled. The Hamilton Public Library is working with the City to restore these services.
For more information on the Hamilton Public Library branches, and the services impacted, please visit www.hpl.ca and check the alert tab, or by calling 289-779-7588.
SENIOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Nominations for Hamilton’s 29th Annual Senior of the Year Awards opened on April 22, 2022.
The Senior of the Year Awards honour seniors in Hamilton who volunteer their time and talent to improve our community's social, cultural or civic life. If you would like to nominate someone, a nomination package can be accessed and submitted at Hamilton.ca/SeniorsAwards.
Nomination packages are also available in person at all Municipal Service Centres, the Hamilton Public Library and Recreation/Senior Centres branches.
Please be sure to complete and submit your nominations by the closing date of June 28, 2024, at 4 pm.
Winners will be announced at the Seniors of the Year Awards ceremony in October 2024.
Photo of people at Ottawa Street’s Sew Hungry event. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events & Opportunities".
STREET PARTY ON SHERMAN - MAY 4 & 5
On Saturday May 4th and Sunday May 5th, join the Barton Village BIA, Playhouse Cinemas, Epic Books, Pinch Bakery & Plant Shop, Hamilton Craft Studios, and the Cotton Factory for a Street Party on Sherman!
Ride Hamilton Bike Share to the event and receive a $3 credit towards your trip.
This is also a great way to celebrate the 10th birthday of the Cotton Factory and spend the day checking out all the fabulous friends who will all have open houses, craft markets & supplies sale, film screenings, food and seedling sales, and sidewalk sales all along the block.
Be sure to save the date to join in on a full couple days of neighbourhood celebrations from Barton Street to Burlington Street!
10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEW HUNGRY ON OTTAWA STREET - MAY 11
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Sew Hungry event on Ottawa Street! This year’s event has 35 food trucks confirmed to attend, and will span along Ottawa Street from Main St. E to Barton St. E.
Please make sure to mark your calendars and join in on the fun!
For more information or any questions, please visit www.sewhungry.com.
RAINBOW WEEK OF ACTION - MAY 11-17
We all deserve the freedom to be our true selves, to be safe in our communities, and treated with dignity.
Queer and trans people are our friends, family, neighbours and coworkers. Just like everyone in Canada, queer and trans people deserve the freedom to be themselves, to be safe in our communities, and treated with dignity.
Join in on National Rainbow Week of Action from May 11-17, 2024 to celebrate creating a Canada where everyone feels safe and is free to be their true selves. Where we aren't divided by our differences but united in our diversity.
SWAP will be hosting a rally/march for queer equity on May 17 at City Hall starting at 6pm.
For more information, please visit: https://www.rainbowequality.ca/