Building more affordable housing

Markhamreview.com
Nov. 3, 2021

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

The Regional Municipality of York 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.

This commitment includes working with provincial partners to invest in affordable housing. This includes a partnership with Unionville Home Society (UHS), Minto Communities and Martinway Development.

The group is currently working on the Unionville Commons building which will have 265 units at 4310 Highway 7 East in Markham, beside the Union Villa Long-term care facility.

The total budget for this project is $86.3 million and includes a $23 million contribution from the provincial government, $63.2 million dollar contribution for York Region and $44,000 from the federal government.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and MPP Billy Pang recently toured the site -- guided by York Region GM of Housing Services Kathy Milsom and her team -- to review the progress of the development.

“Our government is getting shovels in the ground to support the residents of Markham-Unionville,” Pang said.

The split will likely be 70 per cent affordable housing and 30 per cent market rent. Initial occupancy is expected in late 2022, with total completion by 2023.

The building is a mix of eight and 12 storeys with 200 one-bedroom and 65 two-bedroom units. The building is designed for seniors and universal accessibility. Forty of the units will be barrier free.

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. There will be a new seniors’ hub and community centre on the main floor, providing seniors and the wider community with a range of services to support health and wellbeing.

The energy-efficient building will have on-site underground parking, indoor and outdoor amenity and common spaces, outdoor garden, pedestrian walkway.

The building will be owned and operated by Housing York (HYI), York Region’s affordable housing company. As the largest community housing provider in York Region, HYI manages and maintains 36 housing properties with more than 4,500 residents in approximately 2,800 units located in all nine local cities, townships and towns.