An Anglican church in downtown Ingersoll is looking for a development partner to transform a long-vacant second storey into six to 10 affordable housing units. St. James Anglican Church moved into a former storefront in October 2025, marking a new chapter for the congregation. Now, it hopes to put the space above its sanctuary to use by creating housing for people in need of an affordable place to live. The church is seeking a developer, community group or non-profit organization to take on the roughly 5,000-square-foot space and turn it into apartments that could be rented or sold. “This particular building shouldn’t sit empty,” said Jim Hunt, a warden at St. James Anglican Church. “It should be put to use.” Church seeking development partner The second storey has been unoccupied for decades, with aging infrastructure and no utilities on the floor for what church representatives estimate could be as long as 50 years. Cory de Villiers, managing director of Relèven Realty Brokerage Foundation, said the interior will require a significant overhaul before it can be used for housing. “Essentially, it’s going to be a gut job,” de Villiers said. “So basically, everything on the inside will be ripped down. It’ll be a blank slate.” The property is listed on MLS and Realtor.ca for $1, with interested parties invited to submit expressions of interest, according to de Villiers. The church is looking for a partner with a plan to redevelop the space and bring the housing project to life. Veronica Jackson, who also serves as a warden at St. James Anglican Church, said the initiative is part of a broader effort to find new uses for church property that can benefit the surrounding community. “Our goal as a church and as the Diocese of Huron is to move forward and help all our communities utilize this space so that something good happens here,” Jackson said. Ingersoll looking for more affordable housing Ingersoll Mayor Brian Petrie said additional affordable housing is needed in the community, particularly at the lower end of the market. “We can always use more of that to make sure that everybody has a place to call home,” Petrie said. While the project still needs a development partner and significant renovations, the congregation hopes the unused space can eventually provide new housing options in the community. “I think it’s great,” Hunt said. “Who knows what the future will be?”
