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Last week, Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, and Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson, Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee, joined Salma Zahid, Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre, to celebrate a ground breaking for 57 new supportive and affordable homes which will be built using modular construction at 39 Dundalk Drive in Scarborough.
Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects, the homes will be prefabricated in a factory by NRB Modular Solutions, and then transported to the site one suite at a time where they are assembled. Benefits are that modular buildings can be created at a lower cost and in a shorter timeframe than traditional construction.
"It's through innovative programs such as the City's Modular Housing Initiative that we can get this much-needed housing built faster than ever before – built in months not years," said Mayor John Tory via a press release as he is isolating following testing positive for COVID-19. "But, we can’t do this alone. We are able to do this by working with the federal and provincial governments to make sure we meet our housing goals, expand our affordable housing supply and provide the services that keep people safe, healthy and housed.”
The project is a partnership between the City of Toronto and federal and provincial governments, combining federal capital funding, provincial support to expedite the development through a Minister’s Zoning Order, and municipal project delivery. The homes, which will provide permanent supportive homes for those experiencing homelessness, will be built on land provided by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.
“Homelessness is not confined to Toronto's downtown neighbourhoods," said Thompson. "Many people in the Scarborough community would benefit greatly from permanent, affordable homes and additional support services such as the ones planned for this site. Thanks to well-designed and built modular housing, we can help the most vulnerable in our community become part of the fabric of our compassionate and welcoming Scarborough community.”
The building at 39 Dundalk Drive will offer permanent, stable, and affordable homes with support services for those experiencing homelessness, including women, seniors, Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, and those with disabilities. The 57 new homes will each be studio apartments with a kitchen and a bathroom. The five-storey building will have a dining room, program space, administrative offices, and a commercial kitchen that can provide on-site meals for residents.
"By providing permanent housing with 24/7 support services in place, we not only give a person a home but also a new chance at life," said Bailão. "Through the ambitious goals set in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Plan, we are creating more and more of these opportunities, faster than we ever have before.”
The homes at 39 Dundalk Drive are part of the second phase of the Modular Housing Initiative (MHI), approved by City Council in April of 2020. The creation of the new housing is part of the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan which targets the approval of 40,000 new affordable rental homes – with 18,000 being supportive homes including 1,000 modular homes, to help increase housing stability for Toronto residents. There are currently a total of 109 City-led or City-supported active affordable housing development projects that will deliver an estimated 19,000 new affordable and supportive homes across the City.
You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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