Small finishes are all that remains for a big project, anticipated to help tackle the issue of housing affordability in Simcoe County.
Representatives from the County of Simcoe, the Simcoe County District School Board, and councillors from Bradford and other towns, gathered at 151 Simcoe Rd., on the corner with Marshview Boulevard, for a preview of the county’s nearly completed 50-unit affordable rental building and community hub on Nov. 22.
Mina Fayez-Bahgat, the County of Simcoe’s general manager of social and community services, led a presentation in the community room of the building by recognizing the death of project supervisor Jesse Marchand early Wednesday morning, noting the husband and father was also a volunteer firefighter in Tay Township and previously in Tiny Township.
“He leaves behind a legacy of community service, compassion, dedication and hard work,” Fayez-Bahgat said, fighting back tears at one point. “It’s in his honour that we decide to go ahead today and show the pride of his work and to show the difference that he made, not just in the lives of all of us here today, but the 50 families that are going to move in within the next few months.”
Of the 50 apartments, 31 are 59-sq.-m (635-sq.-ft.) one-bedroom units, 12 are 89-sq.-m (958-sq.-ft.) two-bedroom units, and seven are 181-sq.-m (1,270-sq.-ft.) three-bedroom units.
While rents in the building are expected to average about 80 per cent of the average market rent (AMR) as determined by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Fayez-Bahgat explained to BradfordToday that 30 units are required to fall within 60 to 80 per cent as part of a funding agreement with the federal government.
The county is expected to fund the rest at 80 to 120 per cent of AMR to ensure different revenue levels keep the building sustainable, but even at 120 per cent, Fayez-Bahgat explained that would work out to roughly $1,200 per month since the CMHC AMR is “considerably” below market rates.
There’s more to the project than just affordable rents though, and the 6,463-sq.-m (65,567 sq.-ft.) building also includes a community event space, kitchen, county social and community services (including Ontario Works), and an area for the school board to provide skills and vocational training.
The building is also right next door to the town’s future town hall, and it is walking distance to the Bradford GO Transit station.
While subsidized housing can sometimes come with a stigma, Fayez-Bahgat said they haven’t had any serious issues from the communities in which other developments are located, including the 130-unit project in Orillia which welcomed its first tenants earlier this year.
“When you create mixed income healthy communities, you’ll see exactly that, a healthy neighbourhood,” he said, explaining community spaces and agencies are purposefully embedded in the developments to make them welcoming to the surrounding community.
As an example, he noted the 215-unit development — their biggest yet — in progress in Barrie is expected to include primary care space for people who can’t find doctors.
Despite inflation seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fayez-Bahgat explained to BradfordToday the project was able to remain within its $35-million budget thanks to pre-purchasing materials and standardization across the county’s 12 housing projects, in which they use similar designs, architectures, fixtures and fittings, allowing them to leverage an economy of scale.
Moving forward, he also explained the ongoing cost of the development won’t burden the taxpayer as the county has pre-budgeted for 30 years of anticipated costs.
The project wasn’t immune to pandemic-related delays though, and the previously targeted completion date of late 2023 was pushed back due to a number of factors, including site preparation and power supply issues, but Fayez-Bahgat identified global supply chain issues as the primary problem.
That was despite help from the town, who both donated the land for the project and help with approvals.
“Without the town of Bradford West Gwillimbury’s help we couldn’t have built this building so efficiently,” Stephanie MacLellan, deputy mayor of New Tecumseth and vice-chair of the county’s affordable housing advisory committee, said on behalf of Warden Basil Clarke. “As I entered the doors for the first time today, I couldn’t help but image the futures that this building will create for so many people in South Simcoe and the impact that it will make on their lives.”
Bradford Mayor James Leduc, who also sits on the Simcoe County Housing Corporation board, called the town’s involvement a gesture to underscore their “deep commitment” to investing in a community where everyone has access to housing they can afford.
“Access to safe affordable housing is a cornerstone of strong thriving communities,” he said. “It’s where families grow, where children dream and where individuals find stability.”
Still the mayor acknowledged this project is just a “stepping stone” toward the final goal.
“We know the work ahead won’t be easy, but moments like this remind us that progress is possible when we come together with a shared purpose,” he said.
The process to apply for a unit began in July and so far the county has received about 1,300 applications with all units allocated and about 500 applications are currently on a wait list.
Staggered move-in dates are set to begin at the Bradford building in mid December and continue to the end of February, by which time the building is expected to be fully occupied.
