Today, Mayor Olivia Chow celebrated the ground-breaking of the first of two buildings at 25 Sewells Rd. in Scarborough, which will provide 201 affordable rental homes. Once complete, the development will include two buildings with a total of 318 affordable rental homes. This milestone is the culmination of a partnership between the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and the not-for-profit housing provider and developer, the Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation.
Mayor Chow was joined by the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park) and Eric Cohen, Vice-president of the Board, Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation.
About the housing project
The first nine storey building at 25 Sewells Rd. will have 201 affordable rental homes consisting of 100 one-bedroom, 83 two-bedroom and 18 three-bedroom homes. The Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation has been advancing the development and the first building is expected to be completed in September 2025. An additional eight storey building will have 117 affordable rental homes comprising of 68 one-bedroom, 32 two-bedroom and 17 three-bedroom homes.
All of these homes will be affordable, with rents less than 100 per cent of the Average Market Rent as reported annually by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation will operate this affordable housing site after construction is completed.
The entire development will offer 663 square metres of indoor amenity spaces and 722 square metres of outdoor amenities including a central green space, a community garden and a shared dining area, as well as improvements to the existing playground to the south of the existing apartment building on the Brenyon Way lands. Additionally, the development will provide pedestrian connections through the site including a connection to an existing pedestrian path to the nearby Wickson Trail Park. The development will be integrated with the group of existing buildings on adjacent lands at 182 to 250 Brenyon Way, also owned and operated by the Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation.
Investments
Development of the affordable housing project has been made possible through the funding and incentives provided by the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation. In December 2019, Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation purchased the land at 25 Sewells Rd. and provided $5.6 million in funding for this project. Through the City’s Open Door program, Toronto City Council approved $3.37 million in capital funding and $27 million in financial incentives, including property tax and development charge exemptions and permit fee waivers, to make this site possible. The Government of Canada provided over $15 million in funding and over $79 million in repayable loans through the Affordable Housing Fund.
HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan
Today’s announcement advances the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, which targets the approval of 65,000 new rent-controlled homes across the city to help increase housing stability for Toronto residents over the next 10 years.
More information is available on the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan webpage.
Quotes:
“More affordable housing means stronger communities across Toronto. This affordable housing site at 25 Sewells Rd. is a success story of the collaboration between federal and municipal government and the not-for-profit sector. To address the housing crisis we need more partnerships like this one, creating homes and a sense of belonging for all.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“I’m so happy to see the ground-breaking of this important affordable housing project in Scarborough. Our community has a real and immediate need for affordable homes and I’m proud that the City of Toronto is taking tangible steps to meet this need. I cannot wait to welcome our new neighbours when this building is complete.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)
“The City of Toronto currently delivers a wide range of policies, programs and initiatives to increase the supply of affordable housing, however, solving this housing crisis demands collective action from all orders of government. The federal and municipal support of the affordable housing project at 25 Sewells Rd. reflects a shared commitment to addressing this challenge and working towards making housing affordability a reality for Torontonians.”
– Councillor Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park), Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee
“An additional 201 affordable homes is a small but meaningful step in addressing local needs and building a stronger community here in Scarborough. I know these new units will be a relief to the families who move into them, and I am looking forward to the completion and positive impact of this incredible project.”
– Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park
“The Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation is pleased to start construction of a much needed affordable housing development with the support of our Federal and Municipal partners. Our non-profit volunteer board is committed to providing quality, permanently affordable housing for the residents of Scarborough, as we have been providing for more than 40 years.”
– Eric Cohen, Vice-president of the Board, Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation
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