The Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) has announced a 150-home community project on Florence Street in Huntsville.
According to officials, the project will include two four-storey residential buildings and one row of stacked townhomes, with at least 40 per cent of the homes designated as permanently affordable housing.
Officials said the development will be completed in three phases. Phase one will include a 48-unit building, followed by an 80-unit building in phase two. The final phase will include 24 stacked townhome units.
The project overview states that phase one will include one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, including barrier-free layouts, although the final design has not yet been confirmed.
The organization said the development aims to be financially self-sustaining without requiring ongoing annual support from the Town of Huntsville, the District of Muskoka or taxpayers.
Officials said additional funding, including a substantial recent commitment from Natural Resources Canada’s GCWood program, will help make even more homes affordable.
The organization said Florence Street represents a shared commitment to a different housing future thanks to a partnership with the Town, the District and MCLT’s dedicated volunteer Board of Directors.
“For too many people who live and work here, the possibility of finding a home they can afford is slipping out of reach,” said officials. “Meeting this challenge requires more than short-term solutions. It requires a fundamentally different approach to housing.”
Officials said significant architectural, engineering and landscape work has gone into ensuring the buildings remain below the surrounding tree canopy, allowing much-needed housing to become part of Muskoka’s landscape rather than stand apart from it.
The organization said the project is intended to be the first of many projects built on this model across Muskoka and beyond.
For more information about the project, click here.
