As land values rise in Waterloo, she’s in a race against time to support low-income families | TheRecord.com

Just a stone’s throw away from the gleaming new research buildings surrounding University of Waterloo sits one of the city’s poorest neighbourhoods.

Large families, often refugees from Africa and the Middle East, are squeezed into townhouses, some so poorly maintained that there’s mould on the walls, and water damage from leaky roofs and pipes.

“It’s almost like an abandoned community,” said Oluseun Olayinka, the new executive director of Adventure4Change.

The community organization helps families in this low-income neighbourhood of Sunnydale, as well as other families in nearby homes on Albert and High streets.

Olayinka sees these families as “people with huge potential.”

“I’ve seen a group of people that have tenacity and resilience,” she said. “It’s time to empower them.”