$86.3M affordable housing project for older adults in Markham 'foundation' of caring community

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 15, 2021

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With the lowest proportion of rental housing in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area and an increase of 110 per cent in the average price for a resale home between 2009 and 2019, York Region’s wait list for subsidized housing grew from 7,626 applicant households in 2010 to 15,810 in 2020.

Of those, more than 40 per cent are older adults.

But with the Unionville Commons project taking shape in Markham, hundreds of seniors will have a place to call home well before the nine-and-a-half year average wait time.

Initial occupancy for the new eight- and 12-storey buildings located at 4310 Hwy. 7 E., including a seniors hub and community centre on the main floor, is slated for late 2022, with total completion pegged for 2023.

The result of a partnership between the Unionville Home Society (UHS), Minto Communities and Martinway Development Ltd., the hub will be owned and operated by Housing York Inc. (HYI), York Region’s affordable housing company.

“York Region is committed to building complete communities with a full range of housing options and services to support residents at all ages and stages of their lives,” said Kathy Milsom, York Region's general manager, housing services, during a tour of the site with Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy Nov. 1.

The federal government contributed $44,000 to the project’s total $86.3 million budget, with the region footing $63.2 million and provincial contributions totalling $23 million.

Leveraging federal and provincial funding opportunities has built more than 1,200 new community housing units across all subsidized housing providers, including HYI properties, non-profit, and co-operative housing since 2004. Another 362 units are set to open by 2023.

While the region would like to build more affordable housing to meet the growing need, funding -- or lack thereof -- limits how much help it can provide at any given time.

For that reason, most, if not all, buildings built by Housing York in recent memory incorporate a mix of market-rent suites and rent-geared-to-income units. The advantage is the pricier apartments and homes help make the subsidized housing possible.

Roughly 70 per cent of Unionville Commons’ 265 units (200 one-bedroom; 65 two-bedroom) will be geared-to-income, with 30 per cent market rent.

In addition, 40 units will also be barrier-free.

Designed for older adults and universal accessibility, particular attention has been paid to addressing the greatest challenges faced by seniors in the community, including physical, social and emotional isolation and physical and cognitive barriers in the environment, said Milsom.

Safe, secure, affordable housing is essential for everyone and is the foundation of strong and caring communities.

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti commended all levels of government for investing in the project.

“Affordable housing for seniors is vital in creating healthy and strong communities that support aging families and seniors,” he said.

“This development will not only ensure many more seniors have access to affordable housing and support services but can live in a safe and comfortable environment. We are excited to welcome this new campus to our vibrant community.”

The city also has its own strategy to tackle the affordable housing crisis, with the cost of housing making living in Markham out of reach for many.

One in three households in the city have housing affordability issues and nearly one in five residents are spending 50 per cent or more of their income on housing.

Affordable is defined by annual housing costs that do not require more than 30 per cent of gross household income for low and moderate income households.

In Markham, a unit is affordable if it costs no more than $480,723 for ownership housing and $1,541 in monthly rent.

The city’s plan, called Housing Choices, includes a vision, three goals and 35 actions to address the housing gaps and needs.