'Yes, In God's Backyard': Affordable housing proposed on site of Scarborough church

A new development company associated with the United Church of Canada is trying to breathe new life into a Scarborough church that officially closed in 2019 — by building affordable housing on the site while keeping some of its gathering spaces alive.

Kindred Works wants to build an 11-storey tower and two rows of townhouses —100 mixed-income rental units in all — while retaining the cemetery and community spaces on the former site of Wexford Heights United Church, located at  2102 Lawrence Ave. E.

"We need housing now," said Tim Blair, CEO of Kindred Works.

The United Church believes that housing is a fundamental human right, Blair says "so this certainly fits into the overall mission of the church."

It's all part of a growing continent-wide movement to build affordable housing on re-purposed church lands that some call YIGBY, which means "Yes, In God's Backyard" — a not-so-subtle dig at NIMBY, which stands for "Not In My Backyard."   

That's why Kindred Works is trying to create rental homes for 34,000 people on former United Church sites across Canada over the next 15 years, in many cases keeping the gathering spaces. Seven of those projects, like the one at Wexford Heights, are proposed in Toronto, where the need to build affordable housing is particularly acute

It's part of an effort to "make a meaningful impact and address the housing crisis across the country," Blair says

Housing advocates are singing the praises of the United Church for trying to transform its assets in this way.

"This is really a gold standard for how we can utilize space around existing properties that we have access to," said Eric Lombardi, who is with More Neighbours Toronto, a group that advocates for denser neighbourhoods and more affordable housing. 

Lombardi says it's a useful model for governments to better utilize its own assets.

"The city and the province need to not only support these things super vocally, but really need to learn the lessons that they're teaching us about how to do this," he said.

Lombardi thinks making 30 per cent of housing affordable rental units is also a goal that governments should strive for. He says the emphasis is now mostly on home ownership, but many people cannot afford to buy property and are struggling. 

But not everyone who live near the Wexford Heights site is a fan.

Homemade signs dot Ellington Drive, the church's cross-street, calling on surrounding homeowners to contact Coun. Michael Thompson, who represents the neighbourhood, to voice their opposition.