A unique affordable housing development coming to downtown Orillia will help fill a gap when it comes to assisting vulnerable women, says a local shelter official.
“It’s fantastic because there’s more affordable housing coming to Orillia and we need it,” said Linda Goodall, executive director of the Lighthouse.
Plans to convert the second floor of the post office building on Peter Street and create a third floor became public earlier this week, when city council heard a presentation from Raising the Roof.
The national organization that works to provide affordable housing learned last year the building at 25 Peter St. N. was available through the Federal Lands Initiative, a program of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation that aims to repurpose vacant federal properties for affordable housing.
After replying to a request for proposals in the fall, Raising the Roof got the go-ahead.
“This project came up in Orillia and it seemed like a perfect fit,” said Adrian Dingle, director of housing development with Raising the Roof.
The organization connected with the Lighthouse and Barrie-based Redwood Park Communities to help shape the concept.
“We fully recognize there are going to be agencies where we go that know the community better and know what the needs are. That makes our job easier,” Dingle said.
It was during consultation with those agencies that the need to provide affordable housing for women coming out of the shelter system was identified as a priority for the Peter Street project.
“Orillia has done a fantastic job with affordable housing, but this is a demographic that doesn’t have a dedicated affordable housing building,” Dingle said.
The need is obvious, said Goodall.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lighthouse only provided shelter to men. In late March 2020, it created an emergency shelter program for women.
Between April and December, 224 women were provided shelter.
“That shows the need,” Goodall said. “Everybody deserves a safe space to stay, but women can be even more vulnerable. It is so hard to find housing on any given day, and then throw COVID in there.”
The Peter Street development will include 40 units, at least 24 of which will be affordable. Some might view that as a drop in the bucket when it comes to addressing the need locally, but any new affordable units are welcome, Goodall said.
“Those 24 drops that are going in there are helping to fill the bucket,” she said. “We appreciate anything that’s being created.”
The Lighthouse relies on partnerships to provide its services, and its work with Raising the Roof and Redwood Park Communities is a good example.
“It’s an excellent combination,” Goodall said.
That collaborative approach is at the heart of what Raising the Roof does, too, through its Reside program. For the Orillia project, it has teamed up with Community Builders, a Minesing-based social enterprise whose trainees will provide general labour support for the contractor.
Trainees will complete jobs such as framing, drywalling, painting, millwork and flooring installation — experience that has been shown to pay off in the past. Eight-five per cent of previous Reside training graduates have found long-term employment.
“Providing housing is terrific, but we really try to tackle homelessness from two angles,” Dingle said, referring to housing and employment opportunities.
Environmentally friendly design is also important to Raising the Roof, which is finding ways to increase energy efficiency as part of the Orillia project.
It is looking at opportunities to get assistance from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund, which provides low-cost and forgivable loans for affordable housing projects.
The Peter Street post office will remain operational during and after construction and renovations.
The 8,000-square-foot basement — formerly a bomb shelter — will be part of the development. Raising the Roof is looking at ways to make that a community space.
Construction is slated to begin in early 2023, with the goal of having people move in later that year.
Raising the Roof is in the process of requesting a zoning bylaw amendment so it can submit a design plan.
