A modular housing project that rose to prominence last year after East Yorkers objected to removing a small car park to fit in is now one step closer to completion.
Mayor John Torrey and a number of city officials were at the site of 540 Cedarvale Avenue on Thursday when crews began lifting the 59 prefabricated units on site.
The units in which each studio apartment house will eventually be stacked on top of each other to form an affordable new residential building that will provide shelter for people coming out of homelessness.
The building will be managed by a non-profit housing provider and will also have shared facilities, including a commercial kitchen that can provide on-site food for residents.
“These projects are entirely related to modular housing, which is carried out quickly and which is carried out efficiently and provides these homes at a fairly fast pace. But it is also very important for the pillars that will be in these residences for the people who live there, “said Tori. “This is a much better, much more profitable, much more humane, much more effective solution for people who have experienced homelessness (from shelters). We want to move away from building shelters and relying on them over time. Providing supportive and affordable housing is the most cost-effective way we can keep people accommodated and get people moving on with their lives. “
A number of East Yorkers expressed concern about the modular housing facility last spring, with some opposing the removal of a parking lot near Stan Wadlow Park, while others suggested the density was not appropriate for the neighborhood.
During Thursday’s photo shoot, the city councilor acknowledged that there had been many “challenging” talks during the construction of the complex and “many, many meetings”.
But he said the end result is something everyone can be proud of.
“I understand that these projects are never easy, and that’s because change is not easy. But change is needed and change is needed, ”Beaches-East York Coun. said Brad Bradford. “It simply came to our notice then. I was a counselor for a relatively short period of time, but he showed me that there is no single picture of the need for housing in this city. We need to build all kinds of homes in all places to achieve our goal, and that goal is to ensure that everyone has the basic dignity of a roof over their head. ”
The Toronto Modular Housing Initiative is a joint project undertaken in collaboration with the federal government. The city is contributing nearly $ 29 million to phasing out housing, while the federal government is providing another $ 18.75 million in funding through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
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