Media Release
City takes major step forward on Lake Avenue affordable housing
HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton has reached a major milestone in advancing affordable housing at 5 and 13 Lake Avenue South by entering into an agreement with Crosswalk Communities, a non-profit affordable housing developer selected to deliver up to 60 affordable rental apartments, 20 per cent of which will be prioritized for veterans. This milestone marks the transition from site and partner selection to the next phase of project development, bringing Hamilton one step closer to providing much-needed homes for residents and veterans.
Up to 60 affordable housing units to be developed across 5 and 13 Lake Avenue South
With the agreement now in place, the project can move forward with detailed design, planning approvals and pre-construction work. The rental apartments will be designed to exceed accessibility and sustainability standards and built locally using modern modular construction, helping deliver new affordable homes sooner.
Once completed, the project will deliver lasting benefits to the community through increased affordable rental housing, helping more residents and veterans find stable homes while supporting a more inclusive, resilient and complete neighbourhood for years to come.
“My commitment to finding solutions to the housing crisis remains unwavering,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “Every Hamiltonian deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. By using surplus City lands to create more affordable housing, we're taking practical action to increase housing options, strengthen our neighbourhoods and support people at every stage of life. I am also pleased that my request to have apartments in the development be designated to specifically house veterans is included in Crosswalk’s plan. This is about making smart use of public land to deliver lasting benefits for our community and ensuring more residents can build their future here in Hamilton.”
Laying the Groundwork for the Future
The selection of this housing provider enables the next phases of the project, including detailed design, approvals and construction. As these stages progress, residents will see visible changes as the sites are prepared for development.
As the project moves forward, parking has been incorporated into the project approach, and Crosswalk Communities will continue working with the City and community stakeholders to implement parking arrangements that support the needs of residents, local businesses and the broader Stoney Creek community.
While delivering much-needed affordable housing is the immediate priority, this project also represents an important step in the long-term revitalization of the area. As development progresses, it will help lay the foundation for a more complete, accessible and vibrant community that supports residents, local businesses and future growth for years to come.
Crosswalk Communities will use modern modular construction to build the homes more efficiently, helping reduce construction time in the neighbourhood while minimizing environmental impacts. The homes will also meet Rick Hansen Foundation accessibility standards, making them more accessible for people of all ages and abilities, and will achieve the highest National Energy Code of Canada targets for energy performance.
“This agreement marks a significant milestone — from vision to execution. Through strong partnerships, these developments will create affordable housing opportunities for residents facing housing insecurity,” said City Manager Marnie Cluckie. “The developments represent meaningful progress in our long-term housing strategy and a clear example of how the City is using its assets, partnerships and funding tools to deliver real outcomes for Hamiltonians.”
Advancing this project required careful planning, coordination and alignment to ensure the sites could support long-term affordable housing. With the housing provider now selected, the City looks forward to seeing these sites transformed into much-needed affordable homes for veterans, working families and other residents in our community, including those from the City’s centralized Access to Housing waitlist.
Supporting Housing Affordability
The City will lease the land to Crosswalk Communities at a nominal rate and provide $500,000 through the Housing Secretariat's Affordable Housing Development Project Stream to support pre-development costs.
This investment helps keep rents affordable by reducing upfront costs for the developer. Rents for all new homes, including studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, will be capped at 80 per cent of Average Market Rents (AMR), giving more residents access to housing that meets their needs.
Additionally, Crosswalk Communities will have the opportunity to access the Housing Acceleration Incentive Program under the Housing Accelerator Fund to assist with the construction phase of development. These investments reflect the City's commitment to increasing affordable housing and creating more housing opportunities for residents.
“We are excited to be working in partnership with the City of Hamilton to bring these homes to Stoney Creek,” said Jeanhy Shim, Co-founder and CEO of Crosswalk Communities. “This is exactly the kind of innovative collaboration the non-profit sector needs: the City stepping up with land, pre-development funding and a nominal ground lease, and Crosswalk bringing a commitment to build affordable housing backed by experience, expertise and a ‘best-in-class’ development team, including ATCO and Skygrid Construction, to deliver these homes as quickly as possible. We look forward to welcoming veterans, local workers and families.”
Homes for All Residents
The City’s Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap, adopted in 2023, focuses on tangible results and action. This Roadmap helped guide the City's efforts to advance affordable and supportive housing projects across Hamilton, including 5 and 13 Lake Avenue South. As a result, more residents will have access to safe, stable and affordable housing in the community.
Within the next three years, as guided by the Roadmap, approximately 30 housing projects will be under development, creating an estimated 1,455 affordable, 511 supportive and 138 attainable housing units.
The City of Hamilton remains committed to a Whole of Hamilton approach to housing, which recognizes that collaboration across sectors is essential to addressing housing challenges. Through strong partnerships, strategic investments and innovative solutions, the City continues to move from planning to delivery, helping ensure more residents have access to safe, secure and affordable housing.
Quick Facts:
- In November 2017, 13 Lake Avenue South was declared surplus by the City of Hamilton and was approved for affordable housing as a potential use.
- In December 2023, 5 Lake Avenue South was declared surplus by the City and was approved for affordable housing as a potential use.
- Pre-development work was coordinated by the City of Hamilton’s Municipal Land Development Office and was completed in early 2025.
- In April 2025, the City’s Corporate Real Estate Office began receiving offers from non-profit affordable housing providers to develop on these two sites.
- The City’s Request for Proposal (RFP) asked for a minimum of 30 per cent apartments at 80 per cent of AMR. Crosswalk’s proposal will provide 100 per cent affordable apartments at 80 per cent of AMR.
- The Affordable Housing Development Project Stream is administered by the Housing Secretariat Division and was developed in partnership between the Healthy & Safe Communities and the Planning & Economic Development Department to provide a clear and consistent annual funding process for new affordable housing construction.
- Through the Housing Acceleration Incentive Program, funded by the Housing Accelerator Fund, this development is eligible to receive up to a $35,000 grant and a $25,000 forgivable loan per unit.
- Crosswalk Communities is working with several partners to deliver this project, including SpruceLab, an Indigenous-owned, female-led architecture firm, and Purpose Building, a firm with more than 30 years of experience delivering sustainable projects.
Additional Resources:
Tags
Build, Invest & Grow
Affordable Housing
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