Proponents of two significant local affordable housing projects will be seeking financial support from the municipality at Monday’s city council meeting.
Leslie Bellingham and Jon Polubiec, representing Raising the Roof (RTR), will be at city hall tomorrow asking for capital funding as part of their application to the Rapid Housing Initiative's project stream.
In 2021, RTR presented its concept to city council to purchase Orillia’s post office building to create 40 residential units in the downtown.
Under RTR’s plan, the post office will continue to operate out of the main floor of the building at 25 Peter St. N.
The plan is to renovate the second floor of the building to create 20 units and construct a third floor with another 20 units.
Officials originally said 24 units would boast “affordable” rent rates, while the other 16 units will have "CMHC average market rent (AMR)" for Orillia. Most would be bachelor and one-bedroom units.
In a letter to city council, included in Monday’s council agenda package, RTR says if its application to the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is successful, all 40 units “will be made available at deeply affordable rent rates (maximum $434 per unit; 39% of AMR).”
The goal is to “prioritize housing a vulnerable population … (including) women and children who have experienced domestic violence.”
But to secure the RHI funding, the proponents said the CMHC “needs to see that the municipality supports and is invested in the project.”
The proponents are asking the city to provide a $10,000 “per door grant” or $10,000 per unit, which would amount to $400,000. The total cost of the project is just over $15 million; the amount being requested from the city represents 2.6 per cent of the total project cost, notes the formal request to the city.
The group has also asked the County of Simcoe for a $3-million capital grant in an effort to secure RHI funding.
Raising the Roof said if it is successful in landing the RHI funding, that will translate into an $8.8 million investment from the federal government into Orillia, creating 40 units of “deeply affordable housing with wraparound supports for women who have experienced domestic violence and others who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness and employment opportunities for 50 of Simcoe County’s most vulnerable residents.”
RTR must submit their application for RHI funding by Feb. 24.
If the application is not successful, the project will move forward, officials say. However, there will be fewer affordable units (24 out of 40) which would be made available at 80 per cent of AMR instead of 39 per cent of AMR. In addition, if the application is not successful, the “timeline for development and occupancy will be delayed by 12-24 additional months.”
A second ambitious local affordable housing project is also asking the city for financial help in the form of waived development charges.
Regent Park Commons, at 175 Oxford St., will be developed into 48 residential rental units, including affordable housing.
This is one of four initial housing developments that is part of a partnership between the United Church of Canada (UCC), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and Kindred Works to build 5,000 new affordable units in Canada by 2037.
In the Orillia initiative, 31% of the units will be offered below 79% of the median market rate:
- 1-Bedroom, $840 per month
- 2-Bedroom, $880 per month
“For this project to obtain direct funding from CMHC, we will need to receive minimum development charge relief on the affordable units, which we have calculated to be approximately $300,000,” notes a letter to city council from the proponents.
It goes on to say that “for greater long-term sustainability,” the group is seeking a “full development charge exemption and parkland conveyance as a non-profit housing corporation” which has an estimated price tag of $1 million.
Monday’s 2 p.m. meeting will begin with a public meeting regarding the city’s development charges bylaw and background study.
That will be followed by something a little more jolly as Mayor Don McIsaac will be joined by Doug Bunker, Allan Lafontaine, Nathan Housser and Brian Gibb of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce to present the 2022 Santa Claus Parade participant awards to the winning entrants.
City council will also consider a report from staff “with respect to electronic participation at meetings of council” and be asked to decide if it’s acceptable for members of council to continue to attend meetings virtually.
There is also a report from city staff related to accessibility issues during the 2022 municipal election.
Coun. Jay Fallis will be asking for support from his colleagues to have staff look into the “feasibility of permitting homes in vehicles to park overnight on select streets on a rotational basis.” This stems from a letter received from a local woman who has converted a cube truck into a home.
Finally, Coun. Whitney Smith has tabled an inquiry motion seeking support from her colleagues to have staff prepare a report to “consider options and cost implications associated with regulating short-term rentals” in Orillia.
Click here to read the agenda and its various background reports.
The meeting, which begins at 2 p.m., is in the first-floor council chamber at the Orillia City Centre on Andrew Street. You can also watch it here on Rogers TV.
