Left to right: Dylan Robichaud – Office of Jamie Schmale, Mayor Andy Letham, Hope Lee – Housing Manager, Ron Taylor – CAO, Elizabeth Howell-Jones – Director, KLH Housing Corp Board, Councillor Doug Elmslie, Councillor Steven Strangway – Director, KLH Housing Corp Board, Councillor John Pollard.
Mayor Andy Letham joked “We don’t need any more pot holes” as he officially dug into the soil on a new affordable housing project in Lindsay.
Members of City of Kawartha Lakes Council, Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation (KLH Housing Corp), representatives of federal parliament, partner agencies and the public were on hand at the site of the new project on Lindsay Street North at the corner of Queen Street for soggy, official ground breaking.
There are more 1200 residents waiting for financially assisted housing in the City of Kawartha Lakes and County of Haliburton, 348 of those are homeless. The $8 million dollar project will feature 24 one bedroom apartment units as well as City’s Human Services offices. It’s based on the Housing First Model. “Housing First is a philosophy and an intervention that provides people who are homeless with immediate access to housing and support. There are no pre-conditions such as asking them to seek treatment for a condition before being offered housing”. Hope Lee, Manager of Housing for the City of Kawartha Lakes, told the crowd.
There will be three offices directly adjoining the units for treatment spaces and offices for support service agencies. ” This could include mental health and addiction supports, counselling services, support for physical disabilities, harm reduction and intervention services,” said Lee. “Ideally anything that the tenant might need to have a successful tenancy”
The vacancy rate for rental apartments was noted as 0.3% in a recent Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation survey and the average market rent for apartments in Kawartha Lakes and County of Haliburton are often higher than those in the City of Peterborough the City says.
Mayor Andy Letham commented, “Affordable housing must be the cornerstone of any poverty reduction plan. This project is one of the ways that, together with our federal and provincial partners, we’re executing a housing strategy to support our residents. We recognize that housing stability benefits our whole community”
The City partnered with the Province and obtained some funding through the 2016 Social Infrastructure Fund and Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario 2014 Extension. It will be managed by the Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton (KLH) Housing Corporation.
Both the City of Kawartha Lakes and County of Haliburton Councils approved participation in the 20,000 Homes National Campaign in March 2016. With the assistance of over 40 volunteers, the City’s Housing Help division identified 136 individuals as experiencing homelessness within our region during the Registry Week.
Lee says the project is part of an initiative to end homelessness in the city. “Unaffordable and poor quality housing is directly connected to poor health and wellbeing. This significant investment in the quality and quantity of safe, affordable housing in Kawartha Lakes creates a foundation upon which those living in poverty and facing homelessness can build to achieve good health, wellbeing and opportunity”
The two story building will also house the City’s Human Services offices, which are relocating from 322 Kent Street in Lindsay. The city says the new location will be more convenient for many clients who access social and housing support services and will remove the rental costs currently associated with this department.
This is just one of a number of projects throughout the city aimed at ending homelessness. In total KLH Housing is working on 64 new affordable units. At 5 Bond Street East construction is scheduled to start this spring on 12 family townhouses with 3 bedrooms each. This project is funded by the sale of older homes owned by KLH Housing Corp. Construction on a 16 unit addition to 48 St. Paul Street started today. This project is funded by the sale of older homes owned by KLH Housing Corp. according to city officials.
Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing is also building new units in Minden. Pinegrove Place at 57 Parkside Street includes 12 one bedroom units for seniors and those with physical disabilities. Occupancy began in April.
The City is contributing development charges, permit fees, and other related costs for both of these projects.
The doors are expected to be open on all three projects in spring 2018.
