I would move that Sarnia City Council and Lambton County Council jointly identify surplus or underutilized municipally owned properties and declare them priority housing assets. Council would then offer long-term ground leases or land donations at nominal cost ($1) to non-profit housing providers, cooperative housing groups, or housing authorities in exchange for binding commitments to maintain deeply affordable and attainable rent structures. By the end of the four-year term, I would expect 1. the construction of 100-250 new units. Land acquisition costs (15%-25% of the total cost) would be removed and would allow providers to secure federal/provincial funding significantly faster. 2. accelerated shovel-ready timelines bypassing lengthy site-acquisition processes and enabling non-profits to start construction within 12-18 months. 3. long-term affordability through binding covenants attached to municipal land leases ensuring units remain capped at below-market rates for 40+ years, directly expanding the housing inventory for low-to-moderate-income families, seniors, and local workers.
