A three-storey, modular housing development at 1120 Ossington Avenue in Toronto has officially opened, providing 26 deeply affordable homes for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Supported by the City of Toronto and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Rapid Housing Initiative, St. Clare’s latest project was constructed using sustainable mass timber technology and erected in under three weeks.
“Twenty-six lives are being transformed as they move into their new homes on Ossington Avenue,” Mayor Olivia Chow said at the grand opening. “A bed, a safe place to eat, to heal and find community. Astoundingly, through the partnership with St Clare’s and the federal government, this housing was built in 17 days.”
Designed by Smart Density and McCallum Sather, and developed in partnership with Assembly Corporation, the building features colourful cladding, artful shading fins by artist Leo Krukowski and motel-style outdoor corridors.
1120 Ossington is being touted as a great example of what can be achieved when leveraging prefabricated components and sustainable materials, serving as a model for other neighbourhoods and cities facing similar housing challenges.
The supportive housing project is one of seven new affordable developments under phase two of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative. Collectively, these projects add 260 new homes to the city’s housing supply while enhancing the capacity and expertise of Toronto’s non-profit housing sector.
“The rapid construction of these deeply affordable homes demonstrates what is possible when multiple levels of government and community come together in support of innovative approaches to address homelessness,” said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “Thanks to this vision, 26 more people who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless will be opening the doors to their new homes.”
St. Clare’s is a charitable organization that provides affordable and mixed-income housing in downtown Toronto to a diverse cross-section of residents at risk of homelessness. The organization’s buildings are located within a geographical area that allows for close supervision and the implementation of best practices in property management and tenant support.
For more information on the project, visit www.stclares.ca
