By Cecilia Nasmith

Phase 1 of Elgin Park is ready for occupancy - 20 environmentally green units with special mobility and accessibility features in sizes up to four bedrooms, all of them affordable and ready for occupancy this Christmas season.

“There is no greater sense of satisfaction than seeing these homes, and seeing people in these homes,” Northumberland Community Housing Corporation Chair Victor Fiume said at Friday's grand opening of the development that will eventually see nine semi-detached homes replaced with four buildings of 10 units each.

With an estimated construction budget of $16 million, the redevelopment has been led by Northumberland County as the primary contributor. The federal and provincial governments have played a pivotal role, contributing $2.4 million through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund and $5.7 million through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative – a collaborative effort with the Federal and provincial governments.

Addressing the crowd gathered on the lawn, Fiume declared the project “on schedule, on budget.”

Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence declared it “an amazing accomplishment.”

Lawrence said that more than 5.8-million new homes are needed, “and a lot of those should be in the affordable phase. Brick by brick we are bridging that gap.”

Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini added that 1.5-million of those homes are needed in Ontario, “and that's a tall task. But I can tell you – you can't do it without community.”

Piccini cited the importance of partnerships, such as the ones the county is pursuing with Habitat For Humanity Northumberland and Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services.

“That is how we are going to get a roof over people's heads,” he said.

Piccini called the Honourable Paul Calandra – Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who was visiting the riding - “an absolute champion at Queen's Park for affordable housing.”

“This is really awesome,” Calandra remarked.

“The provincial government is focused totally on building 1.5-million homes across the province of Ontario, and we are not stopping,” he said, listing affordable housing, attainable housing, market housing, rental housing, student housing and long-term-care homes as goals.

County Warden Mandy Martin echoed the importance of collaborative efforts in “creating affordable spaces where everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.”

The county continues to carry out the recommendations in its Affordable Housing Strategy to expand the housing stock available for this purpose. The work is vital, she said, but the statistics are sobering.

Northumberland residents have one of Ontario's lowest vacancy rates, at 1% in a county where housing costs are higher than in neighbouring communities. More than 18% of local residents pay more than the recommended maximum of 30% of their income for housing.

Of the 1,000 households on the waiting list for subsidized housing, she noted 319 were added just this last year. At any given time in Northumberland, 75 people are unhoused.

“We are aggressively working to address these challenges,” Martin said, noting the county's $23-million investment in housing initiatives. This year, they have gained 29 net new units.

“But we didn't come this far just to come this far,” she stated – they are building 45 more and pursuing five new properties for growth, with 251 new affordable units in the works.

“Elgin Park shows that when we work together, we can dream big and deliver innovative solutions,” she stated.

Speaking after the ceremony, Fiume said the NCHC is “very fortunate to have a county council that's very supportive of what we do.

“Our tenants – they are our aunts and uncles, they are our cousins, they are us. We all know someone who could use that support. It's important to appreciate we could all be one step away from this situation,” he noted.

“It's a very caring community. I think we appreciate that supportive housing is everybody's responsibility.”

Construction on the first phase began about 2019, and provided valuable experience in how to do things more efficiently. In fact, said Fiume – a builder by trade – they are looking at how to standardize all their construction guidelines toward this end.

The second phase – demolishing the five 50-plus-year-old semi-detached homes still standing and beginning construction on the second two 10-unit buildings – will begin early in the new year. These buildings will be identical to the first two, he said, to allow greater efficiencies in construction. They could be occupied by early 2025.

“The three important elements of life are shelter, water and food, but nothing gets done without shelter, without a place to call home and hang your hat.”

Fiume described the opening as “the day when we can sit back and say, 'We've done it. This is pretty cool. Great job.'

“But our work is just beginning, and it's on-going. I don't see a point ever that we won't need supportive housing, and now, tomorrow, back to the grindstone. We have a number of projects that are in the beginning steps and, one by one, they will come forward.”

Fiume is proud of their work in using local labour and local suppliers to provide jobs while creating these homes, and extended his thanks to both the neighbours and the tenants who were temporarily displaced for their patience during the construction process.

Martin was also proud of keeping it local.

“This project in particular – we are very, very pleased because of the local construction company Dalren, and that makes a huge difference. There's pride and buy-ins, and it shows. They have brought it to the table – this is a labour of love, and it shows.”

Martin expressed gratification at the chance to see “the physical evidence of all our planning and collaboration. This gives us a boost and encouragement to continue with our other plans.”

Referring to the properties they are seeking to obtain, she said they represent “a lot more housing, because we can be innovative, and we have new approaches going forward. Watch for more to come – we are exploring new, innovative sources in funding and soon will be announcing some very exciting developments.”