Hamilton parking lot being converted to affordable housing site

Construction is underway at 257 King William St. in Hamilton. Formerly a parking lot, the site will soon be home to affordable housing.

The 24-unit CityHousing development has been in the works since 2018 when the lot was first proposed to be converted into a geared-to-income housing property.

Rendering of CityHousing building at 257 King William St. in Hamilton

The other site proposed at the time was the parking lot at 106 Bay St., which has since been converted to a six-storey affordable rental property.

With housing costs rising exponentially in recent years and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating shelter resources, the City of Hamilton has been under immense pressure to increase its affordable housing offerings.

According to city data from 2022, more than 13,000 people are using 7,000 CityHousing units, and another 5,700 individuals are on the waitlist.