Stewardship of (Our) Land [Affordable Housing]

Stirling serves as caretaker of five houses around the church. The houses are resources for Stirling’s Mission, Peace and Justice Ministry initiative in affordable housing. A report to Church Council highlighted Waterloo Region’s affordable housing crisis. That awakened a call to do more with the resources available to us. 

“Stewardship of (Our) Land” captures our process to gain insights into how we are called. We have discerned three key parts of our plan: Affordable Housing, Creation Care and Honouring the Original Inhabitants of the Land. The brackets around (Our) reflect Stirling’s role as stewards for the original inhabitants, our forebears and future generations.

Vision: We will use the land Stirling currently stewards to create inclusive, affordable, and environmentally sustainable housing that encourages community.

Values: In this work, we will embody a Bold Collaborative Spirit as we seek to Honour the Land and Its History. We will exercise Environmental Responsibility and be both ambitious and practical in our Financial Stewardship. A Christ-like Love will guide our choices.

Access the complete Mission, Vision and Values document here.

Current Discernment Activities

Exploring How Union Co-op Could Support Land Stewardship

On March 22, we welcomed Sean Campbell of Union Sustainable Development Co-operative for a rich conversation about how their support might help Stirling steward its land for affordable housing. The notes below capture the highlights of his presentation and the questions and reflections that followed. Themes of community ownership, long-term affordability, and creative partnership ran throughout. The questions raised — around financing, governance, tenant access, and Stirling's role — will help shape our next steps.

Update Handed Out to Attendees

Vision: We will use the land Stirling currently stewards to create inclusive, affordable, and environmentally sustainable housing that encourages community. 

Values: In this work, we will embody a Bold Collaborative Spirit as we seek to Honour the Land and Its History. We will exercise Environmental Responsibility and be both ambitious and practical in our Financial Stewardship. A Christ-like Love will guide our choices.

Our discernment continues to be guided by Stirling’s Covenant on Congregational Discernment and Decision-Making, which seeks consensus—aiming for decisions that all can support or are willing to live with. (A decision-making tool is available.)

Where things stand:

For today’s conversation with Sean Campbell ofUnion Sustainable Development Co-operative:

Summary of Presentation and Q&A

The session introduced Sean Campbell (Union Sustainable Development Co-operative) and explored how a cooperative model might support Stirling’s land stewardship goals.

About Union Co-op:

What Union Co-op Does

  • Focuses on housing for people between market rent and deeply subsidized housing.

  • Uses a mix of co-op and nonprofit structures to stay flexible and mission-focused.

Key Ideas from the Model:

  • Housing is treated as a platform for broader wellbeing (e.g., tenant supports, partnerships with social agencies).

  • Emphasis on long-term affordability, community ownership, and mixed-income communities.

  • Governance & Investment Structure Union Co-op is a for-profit cooperative (operating close to break-even by law), offering a 3% return to investors. 

    • Membership shares are $500; investment shares are available in $1,000 increments and can be held in RRSPs and TFSAs.

    • A separate nonprofit handles projects involving land donations. For a church partnership, land transfer would go through the nonprofit, with the co-op potentially providing additional financing. Stirling members could invest.

      Relevance for Stirling:

      • Union Co-op (or similar partners) could:

        • Help finance early-stage costs

        • Enable community investment

        • Support development and long-term management

      • Multiple partnership models are possible, depending on Stirling’s priorities (ownership, timing, values).

      • Sean affirmed that mixed-tenancy models work well and that modern affordable housing no longer looks institutional — current builds use exposed wood and attractive design.

      • Co-ops can also develop “community” among renters, develop skills, provide safety around the co-op

      Next Questions for Discernment:

      Attendees asked 

      • about similarities to Bread and Roses (nonprofit housing co-ops), 

      • connections to ACORN and the Social Development Centre, 

      • how Union Co-op supports the homeless continuum, 

      • how Stirling members could invest (could there be a special fund), 

      • what Stirling’s financial commitment would need to be if working with Union Co-op (and would there be tax break), 

      • what would the ongoing relationship be if Stirling partnered with Union Co-op, 

      • would there be opportunity for Stirling members of low income to be considered to live in the new housing, 

      • is there a sweet spot for size of the development to help keep units affordable and do the 3 properties under consideration meet that criterion. 

      Sean confirmed ongoing conversation is welcome. 

      More generally, members wondered how the Waterloo Region water supply shortage affects any Stirling proposal, noted that City of Kitchener official plan designates Stirling properties as in the Strategic Growth Area and Major Transit Station Area, supporting the type of development we are considering

      • How does a cooperative development model align with Stirling’s vision and values?

      • What role could community investment play in making the project viable?

Past Discernment around Land Stewardship

Do you have questions about Stirling’s journey on stewardship of (our) land / affordable housing? Here are links to select discernment since 2022. 

November 16’s Faith Formation session considered two  recommendations on who to house. We used a Decision Checklist to assess options. More than 50 congregants participated. Several others added their voices outside the session. The Working Group heard strong support to:

  • Remove “wrap-around supportive housing” from consideration.

  • Explore two options for the three properties on the “Weber St side”.

    • Gift the properties to an indigenous housing organization like Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services.  Consider this as part of our journey    towards reconciliation.              

    • Keep ownership, planning for a diverse mix of unit sizes and tenant groups. (If we chose this option, we would likely form an independent non-profit charity to manage risk. To do so would require a development manager.

  • We will consider the financial implications of each option.

  • An example net-zero design created by a university team. Footprint is the 3 properties on the “Weber St” side of the church. 

Working Groups

Stirling Church Council appointed a Steering Committee to direct the discernment process. Subsequent groups volunteered their expertise. We list folks who contributed.

  • Chair: Steve Manske: 519-573-0759; manske@uwaterloo.ca 

  • Brian Unrau, Russ Parnell, Brad Schlegel, Kim Penner, Josie Winterfeld

  • Pat Fisher, Paul Stevens, Dan Ulrich, Will Winterfeld

  • Sarah Whyte, Katie Yantzi, Scott Miller Cressman, Mary Lou Klassen

Selected Resources Beyond Stirling 

Organizations Addressing Affordable Housing 

Reports focused on Affordable Housing