YMCA, Indwell announce refurbishment of former east London YMCA facility into new supportive housing developments

Signage for Indwell is seen in this undated file image. (File)

The former YMCA facility on Hamilton Road will soon find new life as a supportive housing development following a partnership between two organizations.

According to a news release, the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario and Indwell announced Friday that the property on Hamilton Road, the former site of the Bob Hayward YMCA, has been sold to Indwell to create approximately 100 units of supportive housing across two developments.

The project represents an adaptive reuse of the site to support London’s most marginalized populations, says YMCA of Southwestern Ontario CEO Andrew Lockie.

“The sale of this property to Indwell is part of our ongoing commitment to support the well-being of Londoners of all backgrounds, and we are both confident and excited about the positive impact Indwell will make as a respected expert in this work,” said Lockie.

The new development, which is part of an overall redevelopment of the Fairmont neighbourhood, will continue to support community well-being, including maintaining the property’s gymnasium for community use.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.

Indwell’s purchase of the property represents a continuation of their Hope and Homes for All vision, which began in London in 2019 following a 50-year history of providing supportive housing in eight communities across the province, including four developments in London, the release adds.

“There is significant need in London for all types of housing, and we continue to see the pressure the health and homelessness crisis places on the entire community. This housing project represents renewed hope for people seeking health, wellness, and belonging and ensures an exciting reanimation of the property,” said Indwell Executive Director Natasha Thuemler.

The YMCA and Indwell stress the need for support housing, which they say strengthens overall community wellbeing by “supporting individual health and wellness, creating more space and flow in the housing system and helping to alleviate stress on the community’s health and emergency systems.”

Indwell offers permanent housing with onsite professional staff, including nurses, addiction support, housing coordinators, and food security coordinators, to support tenants in their health and wellness goals.

In April, Indwell and partners celebrated the opening of its first local property retrofit, Coves Landing, a 50-unit supportive housing development.

They say more than $3 million in funding originally given to support the Coves project was saved during construction and will be redirected to kickstart the new redevelopment project.

“The gains we are seeing in supportive housing in London are an illustration of the hope and change we can create when an entire community comes together around a common goal,” said London Community Foundation President and CEO Diane Silva. “I applaud the YMCA for acting to help address this need and look forward to an even more positive impact by Indwell across our community.”