Part 1: Affordable Housing Board Focuses on Finances, New Working Groups and Nile Street Progress - 09/08/2026
The Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation Board met on September 14, 2026, with finances, board organization and the Nile Street housing project taking up much of the discussion. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Phil St-Jean, Picton Ward, and began with no declarations of pecuniary interest, presentations, deputations or public comments. An announcement also highlighted the Friends of Pinecrest Grand Parade fundraiser on September 19 in support of affordable housing in Bloomfield.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Financial Questions Will Return With the Auditor
One of the longest discussions came during the review of the 2025 draft audited financial statements. Several board members had questions about money owed between the Affordable Housing Corporation and the County, project costs and how the corporation's assets were being reported. A figure of approximately $687,000 owing to the County received particular attention, along with questions about a $36,000 loan amount and the value shown for tangible capital assets. Staff confirmed that the CMHC loans had since been cleared up, although that was not reflected in the draft audit.
The discussion also raised broader concerns about getting clear, detailed financial information for projects such as Disraeli Street and Nile Street. Board members wanted better cost-to-date reporting so they could understand which expenses belong to individual projects and how those costs will eventually be repaid. Rather than trying to settle all of the accounting questions during the meeting, St-Jean asked members to send their questions ahead so the auditor could come prepared to address them at a future meeting. The motion was also adjusted to make clear that the financial statements being received were still in draft form.
Board Looks at How It Tracks Its Work
The board then turned to its September action tracker, which had been updated following earlier discussions about strategic priorities. Members questioned whether the tracker should mix formal motions requiring action with broader plans and longer-term priorities. The discussion included the possibility of separating those categories so immediate board decisions are easier to follow.
There was also discussion about how decisions made in closed session are tracked, since they may not appear publicly until a later closed meeting. Members considered the value of a separate closed-session tracker, while other suggestions included assigning leads and target dates to items. The overall discussion pointed toward making the tracker more useful as a tool for showing what has been formally directed, who is responsible and what still needs attention.
Four New Working Groups Take Shape
A major organizational change followed as the board considered a new working group structure intended to cover a wider range of the corporation's responsibilities. Members discussed the challenge of creating several groups without stretching available volunteers too thin. The approach presented at the meeting was that not every group would need to tackle everything immediately.
Instead, the structure could provide a place for specific work when priorities arise and help identify the skills needed from future community volunteers.
The board ultimately adopted four groups: Corporate Governance and Accounting; Building Development and Finance; Advocacy, Outreach and Policy; and Community Fundraising and Communications. The previous governance, fundraising and Disraeli site working groups were dissolved under the new structure. Members were then appointed across the four groups, while St-Jean explained that the chair would serve as an ex-officio member of all four. The board also discussed recruiting residents with relevant skills to contribute to this work.
Nile Street Moves Closer to Its Next Stage
The final major open-session discussion focused on the Nile Street development. Staff reported that only a few remaining steps were needed before the record of site condition could be filed, including legal documentation and confirmation related to the property transfer. The board authorized legal services from Soloway Wright for a required letter and received the verbal project update.
A separate resolution then formally addressed the transfer of a portion of the Nile Street property to the County. Bob Waldon, municipal clerk, read the resolution into the record, which approved completion of the transaction and authorized St-Jean and Councillor Brad Nyman to execute further documents required to complete it. The board was told that this transfer, together with the remaining documentation, would help complete the process needed for the record of site condition. The motion carried.
The board then moved into closed session to discuss negotiations related to capital fundraising and development of the Queen Elizabeth Picton site and Disraeli Street site. Because that portion was closed, the public transcript did not provide details of the discussion.
3 Key Takeaways for PEC Residents
Affordable housing finances are getting a closer review. Questions about project costs, money owing between the corporation and County, and the draft 2025 financial statements are expected to return when the auditor is available.
The corporation has reorganized how much of its work will be handled. Four working groups will now cover governance and accounting, development and finance, advocacy and policy, and fundraising and communications, with community volunteers expected to play a role.
The Nile Street project moved another administrative step forward. The board approved actions connected with transferring part of the property and completing documentation needed for the record of site condition.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:39:24. 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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