Indwell, the supportive housing agency, is expected to begin construction January 15 and residents may be in its 42 units in 2026, said Graham Cubitt, director of projects and development at Indwell.

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With the swing of a hammer, more housing is on the way for Londoners in need.

Construction is about to begin on the interior of the former War Memorial Children’s Hospital near the former South Street hospital site, part of the Vision SoHo Alliance.

Indwell, the supportive housing agency, is expected to begin construction Jan. 15 and residents may be in its 42 units in 2026, said Graham Cubitt, the agency’s projects and development director.

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“We are excited to bring this building back to life. It played an important role in the community and has sat empty for too long,” he said.

“We are reanimating these buildings for a new purpose. This building will make a tremendous difference. The need for highly supportive housing is very clear.”

Indwell is unique in offering units geared to residents’ income, with those on Ontario Works disability programs paying about $550 a month. The agencu also offers “wraparound” services on site, such as counselling and ongoing support for residents.

The memorial building at 392 South St. will take about $17 million and 18 months to redevelop, Cubitt said.

Local fundraising has been critical, as has support from the federal Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., he said. “We had tremendous response from the community and CMHC.

“In 2024, we did a lot of work to get us here, but this is the year we will act,” Cubitt said. “We are ready to hit the ground running. The building has been cleaned out, and we are ready to start the internal work.”

Framing, electrical work, drywalling and plaster work will start soon, he said.

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“In the spring, we will move outside and tackle brick work. We are placing window orders this winter and they will be manufactured and shipped to the site in the spring. It will make for a dramatic impact. The building has been boarded up for years.”

Cubitt applauded ongoing support from the Fund for Change in London, for both the War Memorial site and upcoming development in the nearby former Health Services building, also at Vision SoHo Alliance and an Indwell development.

Indwell is expected to begin work on the health services building site at 346 South St. this year, with plans to seek building permit from the city in the next few months, Cubitt said. The 96-unit project will cost about $38 million. Indwell is actively fundraising now with a $5-million goal.

“We also cleared out this building, got rid of a lot of debris and scrap metal and asbestos and it is ready to go,” Cubitt said. “The interior work was done months ago.”

Indwell owns both buildings, part of a massive project involving six partners who will build 684 units – more than 300 of them affordable – on the site bounded by Hill, Colborne, South and Waterloo streets just south of downtown and east of Wellington Road. 

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In addition to CMHC support and local fundraising, Indwell gets money from the city’s federal Housing Accelerator Fund grant and rent supplement. The agency also holds mortgages on properties and gets some operating funds from the province because it delivers health-care programs on site with Health Ministry resources, Cubitt said.

Indwell is in talks to build another development in St. Thomas and will operate a housing site going up at 46 Elmwood Place in London. 

The Fund for Change is a community fund that aims to address homelessness and health issues. The fund is held by the London Community Foundation and was established after a private donor gave $25 million.

“We are committed to equitable spaces, to supportive housing. It is the most cost-effective way to overcome addiction and mental health issues,” Cubitt said.   

The Ontario government moved recently to end homeless camps and drug use in parks, pledging to increase funding for shelter spaces. It also closed 10 safe drug-consumption sites, instead launching 19 new “homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs,” and 375 highly supportive housing units.  

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ndebono@postmedia.com

Vision SoHo Alliance

• On the site of the former South Street Hospital
• Six different builders and agencies
• 684 units, of which more than 300 will be affordable or below-market rent
• $300-million development

The buildings

• 351 Hill St.: Homes Unlimited will build 93 units, mostly one-bedroom units, along with 24 two- and four three-bedrooms.
• 373 Hill St.: Chelsea Green Home Society will build 80 units, including 28 lofts, 29 one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom units.
• 385 Hill St.: London Affordable Housing Foundation will build 75 one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
• 346 South St.: Indwell will redevelop the former health services building into 96 one- and two-bedroom units. All will be “deeply affordable,” with rents about $550 a month. Expected to open in 2026.
• 370 South St.: Zerin Development Corp. will build 118 one- and two-bedroom units. Expected to open in 2025.
• 392 South St: Indwell will redevelop the former children’s hospital into 42 studio and one-bedroom units. All will rent for about $550 a month. Expected to open in 2026.
• 124 Colborne St: Residenza Affordable Housing (formerly Italian Seniors Project) will build Residenza Victoria, a 180-unit 11-storey building that will drop down to five storeys.

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