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THURSDAY APRIL 8, 2021 PM40050478 Visit us online at www.waterloochronicle.ca FIND BREAKING NEWS AND UP-TO-DATE LOCAL INFORMATION ON COVID-19 ONLINE INFORMATION W A T E R LO O C H R O N IC LE .C A /C O R O N A V IR U S For affordable housing to suc- ceed, attitudes need to change. So says an informal group dubbed YIMBY -- Waterloo Re- gion Yes In My Backyard. "Anyone can say they're for af- fordability," says co-founder Martin Asling, referring to resi- dents in a Waterloo neighbour- hood who say they welcome it but not the built form of a multisto- rey project on green space where a former pumping station used to be operational at 555 Beechwood Dr. The sloped parcel with front- age off Erb Street West, tradition- ally used as a passive space by lo- cal residents, was declared sur- plus by regional council to create subsidized housing. The project will provide 110 new rental units, including about 50 affordable units. The construc- tion tender was awarded in March. Beechwood Drive resident Lyn Meisenheimer said she and neighbours in nearby single-fam- ily homes have been left "demor- alized and disappointed" by the 'YIMBY' ADVOCATES APPLAUD AFFORDABLE HOUSING See 'THAT', page 7 SEGREGATING BUILT FORM HAS AN 'UGLY HISTORY,' GROUP WARNS BILL JACKSON bjackson@torstar.cabjackson@torstar.cab Raymond Hoang, an affordable housing advocate from Kitchener, was in Waterloo last week to say that he's in support of a development at 555 Beechwood Drive that many local homeowners oppose. Bill Jackson/Metroland 534 Hespeler Rd. cAMBriDGe (across from Starbucks) 519-624-9220 885 Glasgow St. KiTcHeNer (corner of Fischer-Hallmanischer-Hallmanischer & Glasgow) 519-741-1233 • Eye Glasses • Prescription Sunglasses • Contact Lenses WE DirECt BiLL! See store for details Call for Appointment 3 for 1EYE EXAMS Book your eye exam with us and receive 1 free Anti-reflective/Scratch resistant Coating on a new eyeglass purchase