Christian Resource Centre
Toronto city council approved funding for 87 affordable housing units for people that are currently homeless or living in substandard housing. The housing will be developed by the Toronto Christian Resource Centre as the foundation of a mixed-use building which will include community programs and services and an interfaith worship space in the emerging Regent Park community.
The residential component of the building will cost approximately $13.2 million to construct. This is being made possible by more than $6 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program and more than $2.7 million in grants and other contributions from the city of Toronto.
The development has also received a donation of land from the Toronto United Church Council, $1.5 million from Fairlawn Avenue United Church and more than $900,000 from Toronto Community Housing Corporation. The balance of funds for the community and worship space will be provided by churches and individuals.
“This affordable housing will serve those in our community who are in desperate need of housing. It is an excellent example of the three orders of government working in cooperation with a neighbourhood community group,” said Debra Dineen, Executive Director of the Centre.
“However, this is one of the last Toronto developments to be funded under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. We need to see that program renewed by the federal and provincial governments to continue this sort of exemplary work,” Dineen said.
The City is currently engaged in an intensive consultation process to develop a 10-year affordable housing plan, known as Housing Opportunities Toronto. Developments like this one are a key part of that framework.
The Toronto Christian Resource Centre, a mission unit of the United Church of Canada, has been working with people who are homeless and people marginalized by poverty in Toronto’s downtown for more than 40 years.
“The new housing will provide stable housing for many of the people that we see in our drop-in. Once they have that stability we will work with them to rebuild their lives and to explore a brighter future. I want to thank our local Councillor Pam McConnell and affordable housing committee chair, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, for shepherding this project through council,” Dineen said.
TheBulletin.ca Journal of Downtown Toronto
