PART 1: Affordable Housing Board Restarts With Leadership, Partnerships, and Project Momentum - 09/08/2025
- PECConnect
- Sep 8, 2025
- 3 min read
This was the board’s first meeting back after the summer break, and it showed. There was a lot of housekeeping, but also some meaningful movement on housing projects that people in Picton and Wellington have been watching closely.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
The meeting opened with routine items. The agenda was approved with no conflicts declared, and Councillor John Hirsch officially joined the board, bringing the total to five members. The first major decision was appointing a Vice Chair. Councillor Nyman was nominated, accepted, and acclaimed, then formally appointed through a motion. This helps stabilize leadership as the board ramps up work heading into budget season.
The board approved the June 9, 2025 meeting minutes and moved quickly into staff updates, which formed the core of the meeting.
The first update focused on Disraeli Street in Picton, a site intended for affordable housing. Staff confirmed that an Expression of Interest is active, with two serious development submissions expected. One proposal involves traditional construction, and the other uses volumetric modular housing, connected through CMHC networks.
The EOI closes October 1, with proposals coming back to the board in early October. Importantly, staff made it clear they are open to private partners, CMHC funding, or other financing models, as long as the result delivers affordable units.
The second update covered Nile Street in Wellington, which remains complicated but increasingly promising. The long-running environmental assessment has stalled, but that may now be less important because of a potential partnership with the Wellington Storehouse Food Bank. Staff and the Chair have met several times with food bank representatives and their architect. The current concept would split the property east to west, with the food bank occupying the lower portion near the creek, and the housing corporation developing the northern portion for affordable housing.
A previously discussed daycare component is no longer viable, mainly due to provincial funding and staffing constraints. That decision was framed as necessary to keep the project financially workable and focused on the two highest priorities: housing and food security. The tone around this file was notably positive, with multiple speakers emphasizing collaboration and community benefit. A refined proposal is expected at the October meeting.
The third staff update addressed CMHC funding. The board was told that most Affordable Housing Fund grants are currently exhausted, but the Apartment Loan Construction Program (ALCP) remains available and is likely the best path forward for both Disraeli and Nile Street. Staff have already shared draft financials with CMHC for Disraeli, giving that project a head start.
From there, the board moved into a substantial governance refresh, approving updates to bylaws, the service level agreement with the County, and internal policies. The most notable change was confirming that two signing officers are required, the Chair and Vice Chair, instead of just one. T
he board also clarified how and when it can formally report matters to Council, ensuring transparency without overstepping into staff performance oversight.
The board also approved naming Aaron McNichol, the County’s Director of Finance and IT, as the authorized CRA representative, replacing a former staff member.
Next came board recruitment, which is a big milestone. With governance issues resolved, staff were directed to launch recruitment for public board members, targeting people with skills in housing, planning, legal, and finance. Applications will open through the Clerk’s Office, interviews are expected later in the fall, and new members could be seated by January 2026.
The meeting wrapped up with a review of the action tracker, showing most governance items complete and development work generally on track. The next meeting was confirmed for October 6, 2025, which will include an AGM, open session, and closed session.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:06:023. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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