Residents oppose affordable housing project proposed for a vacant lot in Mississauga

A growing group of residents oppose the location of a proposed affordable housing project in Mississauga.

Indwell, a Christian charity that builds affordable housing, announced it had purchased the vacant lot at 1639 Lakeshore Rd. W. in Clarkson in late October.

The organization hopes to build a four-storey, 50-unit affordable apartment building.

The project would provide affordable housing for Mississauga’s most vulnerable who face housing insecurity due to various barriers to stable, independent living including women, BIPOC, and those who live with mental health, addiction, and/or physical and mental disabilities, according to a press release from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The project received funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in November in addition to Peel Region funding and aims to be open in 2025.

The Christian charity opened the 68-unit Lakeshore Lofts in Port Credit in early 2022 and will open a second program, currently under construction, in Streetsville, in 2024.

However, a group of residents in Clarkson have raised concerns about the new project.

In a petition launched on change.org, the group said they are concerned about the location and the lack of community consultation. As of Dec. 15, there were over 1,300 signatures.

“We believe there are numerous safety risks and other potential negative impacts that the development may pose to Clarkson Village and the surrounding community and we urge local government and leaders to stop the proposal and reconsider whether the site in Clarkson is the best location for this development,” the petition reads.

Schools, daycares, parks, supportive housing for abused women and children and seniors’ homes are all nearby, they say.

“We understand the facility will provide supportive, independent housing for individuals with mental health or addiction issues (in line with Indwell’s other properties in the province),” the petition reads.

“Our primary concern lies with ensuring the safety and well-being of local residents, particularly for the most vulnerable amongst us, such as children and seniors, and we believe the introduction of this type of facility may compromise this safety and create other negative impacts to Clarkson Village and its current residents.”

The project is still in the early stages and needs site plan approval from the City of Mississauga.

Councillor for the area, Alvin Tedjo, hosted a community meeting on Wednesday (Dec. 13).

Residents spoke out at the meeting, according to a post on the petition from Lara Gallagher.

“As you heard at the meeting our opposition is not to affordable housing, but rather to the type of facility and program that Indwell has proposed and specializes in,” Gallagher wrote in an update.

For more information on the project, see the Indwell site here. See the petition here.