New Flemingdon affordable seniors housing

All levels of government help fund much needed apartments
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Aug 6.)

Groundbreaking at 5 Deauville Place. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Flemingdon Park will be home to 62 new affordable homes for low-income seniors and people with disabilities by next summer.
It’s no accident the developer chose this area for affordable rental apartments for seniors, said Tim Neeb, president of Mahogany Management and Deauville Place, the project development company.
“There’s a higher percentage of seniors in the community than any other in Toronto,” Neeb told the Town Crier July 29 during the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, which is set to open July 1, 2011.
He’s referring to Statistics Canada Census 2006 for the Don Mills census area that incorporates Flemingdon. Seniors over the age of 65 make up about a quarter of the population in Don Mills, compared to the city average, which is just under 14 percent.
Seniors over 75 account for almost 14 percent of the area population compared to just 6.5 percent in the whole of North York, according to 2001 Stats Can census data and 2005 population estimates.

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Surplus social housing sell off

Toronto social housing sold to Wigwamen
City sells 20 properties to affordable housing provider
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier May 14.)

Toronto Community Housing is giving affordable housing agencies first dibs on properties for sale, including 5 Hubbard Blvd. across from Kew Beach. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

The city’s largest social housing landlord has begun the process of selling surplus Beach homes worth millions for a fraction of their market value.
On May 12, city council voted to sell 20 properties across the city with a combined market value of $8.6 million for $395,156 to the non-profit Aboriginal housing provider Wigwamen.
The Toronto Community Housing properties include single-family homes on Pape, Malvern and Golfview avenues, and Milverton Boulevard.
That selling price is the remaining mortgages on the homes.
The process is actually cost-effective, says a city councillor.
Normally, if the city sells or demolishes any social housing units in its stock, it is mandated to replace them within the same community. In this case, the units were sold to an agency that will maintain the properties as social housing, so the city’s not required to replace the housing.
“This is cost neutral,” explained Councillor Paula Fletcher, who sits on the TCH board.
If the city had sold the properties for $8.6 million to a developer, for instance, the city would have spent about the same to build 20 replacement units. According to a city staff report, it would have cost $6.1 million, plus the cost of land for replacement units.
It’s a good deal, said Jeffery Ferrier, spokesperson for the city’s housing agency, because a sale and replacement scenario would have been a money-losing proposition for Toronto Community Housing.  “You can’t just look at the market value. You have to consider costs to replace the units with better housing. The costs of (real estate) commissions, construction, demolition and land would cost more.”

Sophia condos now seniors housing

North York project changed to affordable apartments
Patricia and Bathurst site should see action this summer
By Kris Scheuer
(Written May 6 for Town Crier.)

The Sophia Condos project has changed to a seniors affordable housing complex. Photo by Karolyn Coorsh/Town Crier.

A once controversial plan to build luxury condos at Patricia Avenue and Bathurst Street has now morphed into a project of a different kind: A 237-unit affordable housing rental highrise apartment building.
Several years ago, developers Cityzen planned to construct 240 condos in a 10-storey building described as being luxurious enough to rival the finest European hotels with a fully equipped gym, steam rooms, a party lounge and full catering kitchen.
At the time, many residents on Patricia protested the project, which they feared would bring congestion and traffic problems to North York street.
Multiple calls to Cityzen were not returned, but their lawyer Adam Brown confirmed the new project is moving forward under the previous approvals, but with some changes.

Toronto food bank need

The Stop provides food, advocates for better welfare rates
Second Harvest distributes fresh produce for those in need
By Kris Scheuer
(Written April 21 for Town Crier.)

Mary Milne is a recipient and volunteer at The Stop. Photo courtesy of Second Harvest.

After paying her mortgage, Mary Milne doesn’t have enough money to feed herself for the month.
So she turns to The Stop Food Centre in the Davenport-Perth neighbourhood near her home.
“If I can pay my telephone bill each month I am lucky,” the senior says suddenly tearing up.
Each month, 67-year-old Milne gets a food basket for three days worth of meals and receives breakfasts and lunches a few days a week when she volunteers at The Stop. To get money for laundry and other monthly costs she sells her poster art, sketches and homemade jewelry.
Milne spoke to the Town Crier on April 15 while attending the silver anniversary of Second Harvest, which provides fresh produce to The Stop and 250 other GTA social agencies.
“I’ll be 68 this year and I’m barely surviving on old age security,” she told those gathered at the anniversary. “Second Harvest provides healthy food that I can’t afford to shop for.”