Guelph city council has approved a new building for affordable housing.
On Tuesday, city council approved Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington’s new project on Speedvale Avenue.
Ryan Deska, director of community engagement and development, said the organization is building at a bigger scale to respond to the need for more affordable housing.
Deska said he is really excited about the new project.
“It’s just another step in the right direction and we certainly need all kinds of projects like this and others,” Deska said.
He said the mid-rise building is a bit of a departure from the single-detached family dwellings Habitat for Humanity has built in the past but it’s an effort to build at a bigger scale and to provide more opportunities for more families in the city.
The new build will be six storeys high and feature 48 affordable units, plus some rental spaces, along with one parking space each. He said the organization sees a lot of value in its home ownership model, allowing families to have affordability and security, plus build equity.
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The inclusion of rental spaces, which is below the provincial government’s threshold, helps make the overall project viable, according to Deska. He said it demonstrates an important step in terms of recognizing all of the different housing needs in the community and looking at creative ways on how to connect them to meet housing solutions.
Deska said the initial plan included a larger building with fewer parking spots. Although changes were made to the group’s first proposal, He said he’s happy to have worked with council.
“We worked diligently with city staff on this project to go back to the drawing board and redesign and reconfigure some aspects of the building, and I think that process was a really positive one for us,” he said.
Deska said Habitat for Humanity appreciates the feedback from staff because it’s resulted in a better project for both the organization and the surrounding neighbours on the street.
He said it’s going to be a good fit for the area as well as the future direction of the area.
Deska said that the organization sees itself as a “small part of the puzzle” regarding affordable housing in the Royal City and that it is always looking to partner with other different housing providers to meet the community’s housing needs.
He said the project is able to offer a variety of housing options.
“We know that there is a need for a number of one- and two-bedroom dwellings in the city. On this project, we’re excited that there is Habitat families that will be placed into affordable home ownership but that there will be a variety of housing solutions,” he said.
Deska said the shovels will be in the ground either by late 2024 or early 2025. He’s hopeful the building will be completed by the end of 2025.
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