Liverpool affordable housing project could start construction by end of year

A rendering of the Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing development planned for Liverpool. (QNCH)
An affordable housing development for Liverpool could break ground by this fall.
Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing is planning a 26-unit development off Lawrence Street that will include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units in two separate buildings.
It’s passive design, net zero-ready housing that will welcome tenants from all income groups.
The group was formed as a result of consultations by the Queens Care Society, which identified transportation and housing as vital for Queens County’s older population.
The Region of Queens sold the land to the group for $1 and rezoned the area. It also committed $203,000 toward the project.
Initially, the group expected to start construction this spring. But now they hope to break ground later this year.
Earl Mielke, with Inclusive Homes Consulting, has been working with the Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing board. He said Monday that there have been some delays in the initial work on design and preparation.
But he said they’re at the final stages of the design, and are working now with a cost consultant, before they make funding requests to the province and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. CMHC requires groups to use a cost consultant because it wants a good idea of the final project cost.
“We hope to have our funding in place and a contractor hired, realistically late fall. Early fall, late fall, it all depends on how quickly the funders turn the funding over. And the availability of contracts is a big factor.
“Realistically, we really hope to get something started there by the end of this year.”
He said the group expects the whole project to be in the $6-$7-million range, though that could change as the project progresses.
“A lot of it will depend on the funders. But what we’re getting from the feds and the province, they’re really anxious to get some wins for affordable housing. The initial discussions we’ve had are very positive. We’re seen as one of the more shovel-ready on this scale. Things are going well.”
Mielke said rent for the units will be based on a mixed-income approach. Rents will be at or below the median market rate.
He said that could mean the highest rent would be about $1,200 a month. But he cautioned that that could change depending on final construction costs.
“A mix of incomes, the rents are all basically the same across the board. It’s just a matter of what types of rent supplement or income testing assistance will be available. And a lot of that is negotiated with the province.
“If you have a single pensioner on old age pension, they can’t afford $1,200 a month. So there will be units that will be designated for people on lesser incomes.”
Mielke says this is just the first of what the group hopes will be more affordable housing developments in other areas of Queens.
“The intent is do this one, do it really well and then move into another neighbourhood. Initially, it was like 100 units over three years. Now it’s more like 100 units over three to five years. … We’re just looking at ways to … get more affordable housing.”
Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com
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