In Tuesday night’s meeting of BWG Council, a deputation was made by board members of LOFT Community Service, seeking a donation of land from the town.
LOFT's request fits with BWG's 2019-2022 Strategic Priorities, which include the provision of affordable housing opportunities.
Since 2012, the LOFT Bradford House, located at 136 Barrie St., has provided 54 at-risk seniors who have mental and physical health challenges with stable housing and support services.
"We are very experienced and have over 1,600 supportive housing units now. For us, our real focus is community," said LOFT CEO Heather McDonald.
With the increased population growth in Simcoe County, and in particular Bradford West Gwillimbury, the senior population is expected to jump from 31 to 41 per cent over the next 20 years.
In the Simcoe County Positive Aging Strategy 2018-2023: Older Adults Strengthening our Communities report, the county committed to providing more affordable rental housing, building diverse housing types, and expanding partnerships with community agencies for services.
A trend of new build homes geared toward younger families being developed over the past decade in Bradford has resulted in a lack of housing options suitable for seniors, making it difficult for existing senior residents to stay in town, council was told.
"Residents want to stay in Bradford so our hope is to ensure that this happens," said McDonald.
McDonald highlighted LOFT's revenue of over $50M, stating they are in a good position financially with predictable revenues from the Ministry of Health.
There is an urgent need to improve the current Bradford House, to redevelop and expand in order to meet the needs of current residents, those on the waitlist, and the area's growing senior population.
"Bradford is one of the few homes of this type in Ontario," noted Carrie Hayward, LOFT board member responsible for the redevelopment project.
The current three-storey Bradford House is 22,870 square feet, with 25 double occupancy and 4 single occupancy bedrooms. The original portion of the building was built over 100 years ago and used to be home to a local doctor. Numerous additions have been made to the house over the years, but after extensive review, it has been deemed unsuitable for tenants with accessibility challenges.
Since 2012, LOFT has spent $1.1M on renovating and repairing Bradford House, and forecasted future capital costs over the next five years predict the need for an additional $665K investment in the building.
Some of the existing issues in the current home include:
- narrow corridors and door openings, not ideal for tenants with mobility issues
- wood panelling covering the building, with no fire separations
- small bathrooms shared by four or more residents, not able to be converted into barrier-free or accessible arrangements
- air conditioning for the building inoperable due to the required electrical load
- small dining room with no proper separation, requiring residents to eat at different times
- not enough space to host programming or socials for residents to attend at the same time
LOFT is proposing a partnership with the town for a $26M redevelopment of a new building, with hopes of a summer 2024 occupancy. They are looking to build upon a town-owned piece of property that would support a three-storey housing complex at 98,400 square feet with up to 100 units.
There are currently three properties being considered for the new development:
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Langford Site - 2.07 acres: a central municipal property next to private land that a developer is seeking to build on
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Drury Lane Site - 0.45 acres: privately-owned site of two lots adjoining municipal land in a central older part of town
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Barrie Street and 8th Line - 1.68 acres: transit-accessible site 1.4km from the downtown in a more suburban residential area with busy arterial access
Board members noted their preference for the Langford Site, citing more space and good access.
"We cannot do this alone," added Hayward, expressing the dire need for a donation from the town. "Timing is imperative. There are currently federal and provincial affordable housing funding opportunities available to supplement the investment that LOFT and the town would need to make."
Coun. Peter Dykie wondered if the house had considered looking at their existing site to make the needed improvements.
Hayward said that they had looked into the option already, but the existing structure would need to be torn down completely to make it work.
"And we don't think we could get sufficient units onto the site to maximize the housing opportunity in the community," she added.
Deputy Mayor James Leduc wondered if they had considered using the St. Mary's building, which is located on Moore Street almost directly behind Bradford House.
Hayward noted that a private home, backing directly onto the LOFT property could add potential cost issues.
"That could be a significant driver of cost for the project," she said. "It's not out of the question, but didn't think that was the best alternative for us."
Coun. Gary Lamb suggested they reach out to developers in town to request a donation of land which could be considered a taxable gift, but Hayward said the value of the land would likely be too much of high value to a developer, who probably wouldn't be inclined to make a donation.
"It might be worth exploring," insisted Coun. Lamb. "Maybe their hearts would open."
Mayor Keffer thanked the group for the presentation and promised to keep in touch about future plans for the project.
"It's a very important part of our Strategic Plan, affordable housing; we'll certainly investigate and talk to the CAO and see what the next steps are," said the mayor.