Affordable housing on St. James' land
Affordable housing for non-elderly low-income people is often difficult to find. An agreement among Saint John Non-Profit Housing (SJNPH), Bishop Claude Miller, the Diocese of Fredericton and the Parish of St. James in south-end Saint John will soon make it a bit easier.
A four-unit, one bedroom apartment building is under construction on the
site of the St. James church hall in Saint John. The hall was torn down
in the summer of 2006 and the parish ceased to function in 2005.
The land on which the church still stands was subdivided and SJNPH took possession of a lot in the back in October. Construction of the building began in late November. By mid-December the foundation was poured and backfilled and senior students from the Carpenter’s Training Centre had begun to frame the building.
Some of the costs of construction are covered by a grant from the provincial government’s Affordable Rental Program.
St. James Church in south end Saint John has a long history of community outreach and was the home of The Chicken Noodle Club which served hot lunches to area school children. That program eventually evolved into the Saint John Inner City Youth Ministry, which survives to this day.
Declining membership and growing financial burdens led St. James to close its doors following a special worship service on Nov. 24, 2005.
