November 22 marked Nationwide Housing Day throughout Canada, and the County of Simcoe celebrated by showcasing the progress of its new 50-unit, $35-million rental constructing in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
The four-storey, 69,000 square-foot constructing is a part of the County’s ‘BuildingUp’ initiative to enhance housing.
“It’s a great way to celebrate the notion and the commitment to creating more affordable housing,” mentioned Mina Fayez-Bahgat, the County’s basic supervisor of social and group providers. “Proud of our work and to get another building built on time.”
County of Simcoe and Bradford West Gwillimbury officers on a tour of the brand new 50-unit rental constructing in Bradford West Gwillimbury on Nov. 22, 2024. ( Ontario Chronicle/ Mike Lang)
“We’re getting very close. We’re at the final finishing stages,” added Brad Spiewak, the County’s director of social housing. “We’ve got a lot of well-trained crews and staff that were able to get the finishing work done and actually try to bring it to completion this year.”
The County showcased an identical construct in on West Road in Orillia precisely one yr in the past.
Its residents moved on this previous spring.
The Bradford mission is going down on the nook of Simcoe Highway and Marshview Boulevard on land donated by the City.
“We need to provide these services for our residents,” mentioned James Leduc, mayor of Bradford. “We need to service all sectors of society and we need to work with our most vulnerable society. And this just helps provide another level of service that Bradford has needed for a long time.”
County officers say the combination for the 50 items shall be as follows:
– 31 one-bedroom, 635 square-foot items
– 12 two-bedroom, 958 square-foot items
– 7 three-bedroom, 1,270 square-foot items
County officers add that rental charges will vary between 60 and 80 per cent of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Company common market rental charge.
Ontario Works employees have already been arrange in-house processing the numerous purposes for the constructing’s items, which opened in July.
A kitchen within the County of Simcoe’s new 50-unit rental constructing in Bradford West Gwillimbury on Nov. 22, 2024. ( Ontario Chronicle/ Mike Lang)
“In the first three days we received 500 applications for the 50 units and now we’ve exceeded over 1,300 applications,” acknowledged Fayez-Bahgat.
Along with Ontario Works providers, the construct may also provide a group kitchen, meals packages and house for the Simcoe County District Faculty Board’s (SCDS) packages that put together college students for employment.
“These students are students that do have some special needs,” mentioned John Playford, superintendent of training for the SCDS. “[Programs will be] focusing on not only the university literacy skills, but living the life skills we call them.”
County officers additionally re-confirmed that they’ve exceeded their housing technique goal with greater than 2,600 builds within the final decade.
Mayor Leduc says Bradford has not met its housing targets, however provides that the 50-unit construct shall be a giant assist.
A one-bedroom unit within the County of Simcoe’s new 50-unit rental constructing in Bradford West Gwillimbury on Nov. 22, 2024. ( Ontario Chronicle/ Mike Lang)
“Because of the economy, because of the inflation rates, we haven’t able to meet our targets, but we look forward to hopefully, meeting those in 2025-26,” acknowledged Leduc. “Different styles of build [and] working with all of our residents to hopefully provide that housing that everybody needs.”
County officers say touch-ups comparable to exterior, ceiling and kitchen work will have to be accomplished and home equipment must be put in earlier than the 50-unit Bradford construct shall be able to welcome its first residents. They count on that date to be December 16, and that it will likely be at full occupancy by February.
The County can be set to implement its subsequent 10-year housing technique within the first quarter of the brand new yr, and is anticipating its 215-unit rental constructing on Rose road in Barrie to be accomplished by round 2026-2027.
