Simcoe County breaks ground on $60M development in Orillia
Simcoe County has broken ground on a $60-million affordable-housing and community hub development project in Orillia.
The County Orillia Campus Project will include 130 mixed affordable residential units targeted at seniors, families and individuals. It will also house a number of community services organizations including Ontario Works, Children Services, Social Housing offices, and community agency stakeholders.
“The County Orillia Campus Project is one that we know the community will be able to look to as a sign of hope and pride in what we are able to accomplish when we all work together for the greater good,” said Simcoe County Warden George Cornell. “As we work to surpass our 10-year housing targets, we're proud to invest in affordable housing across the County, with multiple impactful projects in the north, south, east and west completed, underway or planned in the years to come."
The residential component of the site will provide increased access to affordable housing for households from across the area with the maximum rents capped at 80 percent of average market rates determined by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The development’s hub model will also help to alleviate barriers to accessing essential community and social services.
The County of Simcoe has agreed to fund $55 million worth of the project costs, with the City of Orillia contributing an estimated at $4.15 million. Other partners will round out the remainder of the project costs.
In 2014, Simcoe County set a target of creating 2,685 affordable-housing units, including 164 units in Orillia and 392 combined throughout Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Ramara and Severn. As of June 30 of this year, 2,443 new affordable housing units had been created across the county. And although Orillia has already met its target, there remains a significant need for affordable housing in urban settings that are close to jobs, community services and public transit.
"Orillia is experiencing a remarkable increase in demand for affordable housing and Council has been looking forward to seeing this important project come to fruition,” said Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke. “The multi-generational hub will increase the number of affordable housing units in our area, which we are in critical need of, and will provide access to important services our community relies on."
In 2023, the county expects to open a further 127 net new affordable rental units in Orillia, and a further 50 in Bradford West Gwillimbury. When another 150 new affordable rental units come online in Barrie in 2024, the county will have met its affordable-housing target.
Construction work on the Orillia hub is expected to begin next spring, with a targeted completion date of late 2023.
Featured image: Artist’s rendering of the County Orillia Campus Project. (County of Simcoe)