Indigenous-led affordable housing opens in Cambridge
Cambridge is now home to 30 new affordable housing units for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. New residents were welcomed in October to the Kitchener-Waterloo Urban Native Wigwam Project (KWUNWP)’s new building at 27 Cambridge Street.
The building has one- and two-bedroom units for Indigenous households in need of stable housing. A mix of families, individuals, students and Elders will call this place home.
The Region of Waterloo supported construction with $3 million from the Equity Investment Fund. This project is a part of the Region’s affordable housing plan, Building Better Futures: 2,500 Homes in 5 Years.
The building features many special designs choices, made by KWUNWP and their construction partners, to ensure it meets the cultural needs of the people living there.
Each unit has an outdoor balcony so residents can enjoy connections to the outdoors, the land and the surrounding trees. Units also have windows that residents can open and bring in fresh air, which also helps accommodate smudging taking place in the units.
When the new site opened this fall, 15 people moved from KWUNWP’s transitional housing site in Waterloo where they shared a space with others experiencing homelessness. These individuals now have their own private, permanent home at 27 Cambridge Street.
KWUNWP is looking at how they can bring some of the same cultural supports offered at that transitional housing project over to this new Cambridge location. Relationships with other Indigenous community partners, like the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre and Crow Shield Lodge, can help support the new project.
The building includes indoor and outdoor space that can host cultural events and traditional ceremonies. There’s also an accessible rooftop, an outdoor patio, and some greenspace at the back of the building where they’re planning to build a tipi and have sacred fires.
When the opportunity to have a location in Cambridge presented itself, KWUNWP saw only benefits. The site is located near groceries, public transit, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, as well as support services that are familiar to the residents.
The close proximity of the Grand River is also an important feature. The river is a sacred connection for Indigenous culture.
About KW Urban Native Wigwam Project
KW Urban Native Wigwam Project is a non-profit organization that has served the First Nations, Métis and Inuit population of Waterloo Region since 1987. It provides safe, secure and affordable rent geared-to-income housing for people in a low- or moderate-income situation. They work to give First Nations, Métis and Inuit people of this community a chance to grow and prosper, while maintaining a dignified and culturally safe living environment for their families.
Learn more about KW Urban Native Wigwam Project.
