A local housing support organization is moving to secure dozens of rental units in Bridgewater in an effort to keep them affordable long term.

The South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA) has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire 82 housing units across 17 buildings in the community. The properties are located in two main areas of downtown Bridgewater.

“We’ve entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire 82 units of housing in Bridgewater, with the goal of keeping those affordable for the community,” said SSODA CEO Josie Rudderham.

Rudderham said the opportunity came directly from the property owner, who was concerned about what could happen to tenants if the units were sold privately.

“He approached us knowing that if he sold it privately, it was very likely those rents were going to increase,” she said. “It was important to him to have continuity for his tenants.”

Focus on preserving existing housing

Rather than building new units, Rudderham said the project is about protecting housing that already exists, at a time when affordable rentals are being lost faster than they can be replaced.

“We are losing affordable housing at a fantastic rate,” she said. “It’s almost impossible to build it fast enough to replace those units.”

The buildings include a cluster near Maple and King streets, as well as a second grouping on Deforest Street, bordered by St. Andrews and Alexandra streets.

The properties shown in blue and green are part of the 82 housing units that for which SSODA has entered a purchase agreement. Photo: SSODA/Town of Bridgewater.

Rudderham said the properties are well-maintained and designed to function as small communities, with shared amenities.

What’s next

SSODA is now in the due diligence phase, which includes environmental and building condition assessments. If all conditions are met, the deal is expected to close February 26, 2026.

“Once we’ve satisfied the mortgager and the province that all those things have been met, then we close February 26th,” Rudderham said.

After the purchase, SSODA plans to meet individually with tenants to assess their situations and determine whether a rent-geared-to-income approach is appropriate.

“If we find out that they’re paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent, we’d like to try to do a geared-to-income approach,” Rudderham said.

She added the organization hopes this acquisition will be the first of several housing projects on the South Shore.

“Our goal in the next five years is definitely to acquire more housing in the region,” she said.