By Kate Legakis

The prevalent housing crisis in Cobourg is being addressed by the government by constructing new housing units for those in need.

On Friday the 19th, it was announced that 40 new, government-funded housing units will be developed on Elgin Street West in Cobourg.

The Canadian and Ontario governments are investing a joint total of $8.1 million into this project, with the goal of creating truly affordable housing, said David Piccini, the MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South.

These units will stay attainable for low-income renters with co-funding from all levels of government.

This attainability will be ensured by the rent-geared-to-income model, Piccini said. In an effort to ensure attainability, the government will subsidize the majority of the rent.

Further, the degree of subsidization of units by the government will depend on annual income, age, and other life circumstances to determine monthly cost to renters, he said.

A portion of these units will be designated to truly-accessible social housing administered through Northumberland County, said Piccini. Some units will be targeted to those who have been through the Cornerstone program. A portion will be market units, as well.  

On the criteria for low-income renters, Piccini says that the service system managers of Northumberland County work to ascertain who is the most in need in the community. 

This criteria is also based on a metric, said Piccini. This metric accounts for income, dependents, and other factors.

There is a waitlist, said Piccini, and plenty of work still needs to be done to meet the many needs in the community.

The disruption to the residents around the construction site is minimal, Picinni said. However, he also said that impacted residents have been moved to other properties in Northumberland County during construction.

A governmental media release said that this development continues to progress on time and on schedule, with first occupancy planned for the summer of 2023.