This pastor is making room for 41 new affordable units inside his church

A home in the House of God — at least 41 homes, to be exact — is what a church in Kitchener is hoping to provide once renovations are complete.

"We kept getting these burning bush moments," said Mark Ehlebracht, the pastor of St. Peter's Lutheran Church.

"We were looking around to the heart of Kitchener and seeing what needs were there, and what we could do as a community in response."

That's when they decided to build new affordable housing units within the walls of St Peter's Lutheran Church. Eventually, the church partnered with Indwell, a Hamilton-based affordable housing developer, to help figure out the literal nuts and bolts of the operation.

Ehlebracht said all the upgrades will be made to the interior of the building.

"The church building will look very similar from the outside. The inside of the building ... we're going to carve it out like an apple and build the units within the existing structure wall, adding to it."

He said crews are scheduled to start the first phase in September.

"This is a true re-imagination. This is more than a project. This is a way of being and a community posture and we couldn't be more excited and thrilled."

Each apartment will be approximately 250 to 300-square-foot and will range from studio-sized to one bedroom flats. Washrooms, showers and a kitchenette will be included.

Indwell is hoping to complete the project by the end of 2023.

Government funding needed to finish project

"Shovel-ready means we are very close to getting the approvals we need. We're at the place where we could begin a bidding process to hire a contractor and begin the renovation work," said Mark Willcock, the community engagement coordinator for Waterloo Region at Indwell.

He said they're now waiting on government contributions to secure funding for the project.

"We're looking for approximately 55 per cent support from the federal government through the National Housing Strategy. We're also looking for roughly 25 per cent support from provincial funds and we're also looking to the municipal government to contribute about 10 per cent as well."

Willcock said they have already raised about $1.5-million through community contributions. He said the project so far has received support from all levels of government.

A 'burning bush' moment

Ehlebracht said church members were inspired to start the project after coming across a family of three many years ago.

"They were living in an air intake vent that's behind the church. They had a little kitchen and all sorts of stuff set up in there," he said.

"Over top of where they were were scrawled the words, 'Mr. and Mrs. Nobody on No One Cares Lane' and where that was written is almost quite literally on the other side of where the altar would be."

"So here we are on one side of the altar, this gorgeous marble altar in all our finery and there's somebody on the other side of that very same table who feels they're a zero, that they don't matter, that they're a nobody and nobody cares," he added, voice shaking with emotion.

"But we care."