Elgin Street Mission hopes derelict building will be replaced with affordable housing

As Greater Sudbury prepares to demolish a derelict building on Elgin Street, the head of a nearby social service agency wants to see it replaced with affordable housing.

The city announced last week it would knock down 352-362 Elgin Street in January. It purchased the property in July and the structure has been boarded up since.

In an interview with CTV News last week, Sudbury’s general manager of growth and infrastructure Tony Cecutti said the property was "very complementary to what we're trying to do with the development of the events centre."

Cecutti said when the city took over the building there were only a handful of paying tenants who had to find alternative housing.

The three-story building butts up against the Samaritan Centre, a social service agency that provides for the vulnerable in the city. It rents space to tenants Elgin Street Mission and the Blue Door Soup Kitchen, both providing meals daily for clients.

The director and chaplain of the Elgin Street Mission, Pastor Amanda Labreche said logistically, she’s glad the building next door is coming down, adding there have been issues with pests coming from the property.

"Especially now that it’s empty there’s a lot more people trying to get in the building and use the space. That’s also a bit of a safety concern," Labreche said.

But her biggest concern is the loss of low-income housing in the downtown core.

"In a perfect world, (the building) is another place going up that is specific to our guests, maybe a wraparound housing service with some places in there to support," she said.

“Of course, we have people looking (for housing), we have people on lists and things like that. But the cost of living is only going up. And our guests have a real challenge finding housing."

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Considering the city’s plans to purchase property in the south district for the new event centre, Labreche said she and other staff at the Mission are asked "at least once a day" if they’re moving.

"A lot of them have been displaced so there is an angst for sure," Labreche said.

Both she and Cecutti confirmed there have been no discussions about moving the Mission.

"We want to be here as long as there’s people who need us. We want longevity," Labreche said.

Cecutti said the Elgin Street building is "on the edge" of the south district and is "unlikely to conflict directly with the foundations of the building or the walls of the new event centre, but certainly could set up for some complimentary development activities that the city might be interested in."

Should that happen, he said "there is a negotiation that takes place. If it works out, then we buy it."