Port Elgin is getting inventive to help families find affordable homes.
On Monday, officials from Saugeen Shores, Habitat for Humanity Grey-Bruce, and Wilson Developments came together at a small piece of land near Three Sheets Brewing to kick off a 28-unit affordable housing project.
The groundbreaking signifies the start of sales, rather than construction. Wilson Developments aims to sell 21 of the units at below-market prices to local families and plans to start actual building soon.
Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce will take five units in this development, which features two stacked townhouse buildings with 14 units on each side.
Saugeen Shores will receive two units but hasn’t decided yet how they’ll be used, according to Mayor Luke Charbonneau on Monday.
“We have options,” he noted. “We may keep them, sell them, partner with the county that runs Bruce County Housing Corporation or sell them to support other affordable housing initiatives. Council will make those choices later.”
The Town of Saugeen Shores has received a Site Plan Control application for the two stacked townhouse buildings on Town-owned land located at the north end of Port Elgin, west of Highway 21 and south of Concession 10. Town of Saugeen Shores
Greg Fryer, executive director of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, said this partnership represents a new approach for their organization since they won’t directly build these homes.
“It allows us to access units at a discount that we couldn’t afford to build ourselves,” he explained.
Saugeen Shores is providing and donating the land for this project. Charbonneau mentioned that this is part of making affordable housing feasible.
“The only way to make affordability work is by eliminating land costs from the equation; that’s why municipal governments get involved. We’re the largest landowner,” he said. “Land costs drive housing prices up along with many other expenses layered in. To achieve affordability, some costs must be removed.”
This narrow strip of land is conveniently located just west of Highway 21 and south of Concession 10, close to amenities like a childcare center and an Independent grocery store.
The Town of Saugeen Shores has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce and Wilson Developments to construct a complex featuring 28 stacked townhouses at the north end of Port Elgin. /jpg, PO, apsmc
Brad Wilson is president of Wilson Developments.
He shared on Monday that it’s tough seeing hardworking families struggle to afford homes in their communities. Starting as a plumber before becoming president of his Mount Forest-based construction company-which has projects in Hanover, Mildmay, Mount Forest among others-he emphasized their goal is helping first-time homebuyers secure these units through their pathway program.
Habitat for Humanity will provide mortgage services for qualifying families who move into the five units they’ll manage after completion.
Fryer mentioned that Habitat mortgages require no down payment and are capped at just 25 percent of a family’s income including property taxes and condo fees.
“That’s what makes it affordable for families,” he added.
<p Families interested can check out Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce's website where there's a two-page expression-of-interest form available under the “home ownership” tab on their homepage.
A site plan application reviewed by the town indicates that these two stacked townhouse buildings would operate as condominiums; over half (53.6 percent) will be landscaped open space-well above the town’s requirement which is set at 30 percent.
<p Following today’s groundbreaking celebration pre-sales have begun for selected below-market units now available.
Visit Wilson Developments’ website for further details.
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