Owen Sound has been turned down in its latest attempt to get some financial assistance from Grey County for a Habitat for Humanity project in the city.
The city applied for a grant in the amount of almost 23 hundred dollars, but the request was rejected by the County.
It’s the second time in recent months that Grey County has told the City it won’t financially support the Habitat for Humanity project being built at 2024 6th Avenue West in Owen Sound.
Owen Sound had initially asked Grey to waive the development charges for the project, as the city has done, but the county replied that was not possible.
Owen Sound was told at the time it could apply on behalf of Habitat for Humanity for a grant in the amount of the development charges.
But a majority of the finance committee would not support the request.
Owen Sound Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners says she’s disappointed her fellow county councillors won’t do more to support a much-needed project.
She points to a recent housing study that suggests the county do the very thing it just said it would not do.
She also says it’s frustrating that the County is not doing more to support the creation of new affordable housing.
West Grey Kevin Eccles says the county absolutely supports the work of Habitat for Humanity, but it’s trying to develop an overall housing strategy.
Eccles adds it’s not a good idea to be approving one-off grants and waivers while that strategy is in the works.
