First Don Lands affordable housing manager named

Anthony Marcusa –

Now that projects are rising above ground in the West Don Lands, talk has turned to who will control the newly-built affordable housing after the 2015 Pan Am games are over.

The future is clear for Block 15: Wigwamen Incorporated will take control.

Wigwamen is a small non-profit group that has worked for over 40 years to find homes for aboriginals. It will own and operate the 145-unit affordable housing development after the building is converted from athlete accommodations.

Angus Palmer, general manager of Wigwamen, spoke to members of the West Don Lands committee on Nov. 26. He set out a process and plan spanning the next four years with optimism and confidence.

“We’ve been successful in quite a range of projects,” he explained, referencing a 92-unit affordable housing development in Scarborough and a partnership with the YWCA Elm Centre.

“We take pride in our properties, and have a good track record of raising money.”

Wigwamen will pay in excess of $35 million to own the property. The group chose Block 15 because of the total number of units.

“We wanted to be able to serve as many people as possible,” said Palmer.

Of the 145 units, 116 will be split evenly into 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments, with 23 2-bedroom units and six as 4-bedroom units.

The building will have 41 parking spaces and 150 bicycle spots. It will also have an amenity room on every floor, including a large one at ground level and on the tenth floor.

“We look at it and ask, ‘Would we want to live there?’” said Palmer. “The answer is yes, they will be great.”

Wigwamen will fill 35 to 40 units with tenants (and any required support staff) referred by the Ontario March of Dimes and AIS (Accommodation, Information and Support).

Wigwamen also expects to transfer roughly 30 rent supplements to the new site, filling up nearly half the building with people paying below the average 80% market rent that defines affordable housing.

The group has its own waiting list of tenants, and will be in charge of filling vacancies.

It does not plan to provide services other than housing; no youth or job search support programs are planned at this time.

In addition to housing, Block 15 will have a ground-level retail space that falls outside Wigwamen’s mandate.

Occupancy is predicted for spring 2016—while the units are going up quickly now for the athletes’ village, they will have to be converted for residential use. One essential update will be kitchens in each unit: the athletes will dine communally.