Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Be Giant, a relatively new publication, recently published a feature piece on the opportunities and challenges of converting church buildings into housing.

The City of Hamilton has blocked demolitions of vacant church buildings; but has not provided any incentives for their conversions. The result is a familiar Hamilton tale: neglect and then demolition.

It doesn’t need to be this way. The Be Giant feature notes examples of incentive programs that are working.

“In Edmonton, for example, the municipality’s newly launched Faith Lands Affordable Housing Incentive has much in common with Shared Ground. The $2-million fund offers places of worship across the city up to $135,000 to cover pre-construction fees for services including feasibility studies, environmental assessments, community consultation, design consultancy and permitting.”