Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa and Habitat for Humanity Thousand Islands are pleased to be partnering to build 15 new affordable stacked townhomes for families on land generously donated by the Municipality of North Grenville. The build will be completed over the next three years and will be home to working families and their children.
With the recent changes in the housing market and with the rising cost of land and other increases associated with a housing boom, Habitat’s Affordable Homeownership Program provides the best possible opportunity for families to continue to access homeownership.
Located on Concession Road across from the Kemptville District Hospital and near the Kemptville Area Family Resource Centre, local schools, Riverside Park and other amenities, the 15unit North Grenville affordable housing development will comprise six conventional townhomes and six stacked townhomes above three accessible barrierfree units on the ground floor. Construction is slated to begin in the Spring of 2022, with six homes to be completed in 2022 and nine homes ready in 2023. All homes are either 2 bedroom accessible homes, or 3 or 4 bedroom standard homes and will include parking and either a rear yard or balcony.
“This development will provide a very accessible pathway to homeownership for vulnerable families,” says Mayor Peckford, “The Municipality of North Grenville is extremely pleased to partner with Habitat for Humanity for the provision of land at the Kemptville Campus on which fifteen new homes will be built to address the affordable housing shortage our community is facing.”
For all families, having a safe, stable, and affordable roof over their heads plays a critical role in helping to build a foundation for a life with better choices and more opportunities. Owning a home in a good neighbourhood provides the kind of strength and stability every family deserves. Yet the continued rise in rental prices has created challenges for working families struggling to find affordable and appropriate stable longterm housing that meets their needs.
“It is clear that owning a home is still one of the best ways to improve the wellbeing of families,” says Gavin Liddy, Chair of Habitat Greater Ottawa, “This build project will increase opportunities to make homeownership more affordable, more equitable and more accessible for local families in a housing market that is only seeing growing demand.”
Habitat’s model of affordable homeownership bridges a gap for families who may face barriers to market homeownership such as qualifying for a traditional bank mortgage. Habitat’s program allows families to purchase their own home at fair market value with no down payment, eliminating one of the biggest financial barriers to owning a home, and offers families an affordable monthly mortgage geared to their income.
The benefits of owning a longterm stable Habitat home are many. They include reduced reliance on social housing and food banks, better educational, financial and employment outcomes and improved health and overall well-being for families. All Habitat homeowners go through a rigorous application process to determine their level of housing need, their ability to pay an affordable monthly mortgage, and their willingness to partner, which includes completing 500 hours of community volunteering before they move into their home.
It takes a community to build a home, and the Habitat build site is a collaborative space that welcomes our sponsors, donors, community members and volunteers to help build our homes. As this new project gets started, Habitat will offer many opportunities for community members to come together to support the build, such as onsite build days, local fundraising events, Groundbreaking and Key Ceremonies to celebrate the official launch of the build and when the families move in.
Applications for the North Grenville project are now open. Please visit: https://habitatgo.com/apply-now for more information, and to fill in our PreQualification Questionnaire.
