This story has been updated to reflect the number of storeys being planned at three rather than four storeys.
If all goes according to plan, the Florence Street land trust project, a partnership between the Town of Huntsville and the Muskoa Community Land Trust, is expected to add 179 rental housing units, some affordable, some attainable, and some market-rate, to the housing market.
The units are expected to include a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.
“When it works, not if it works, and it creates 179 affordable housing units, they will be able to apply this elsewhere,” said Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock, adding that while the concept is not new, it is the first for Huntsville and Muskoka.
She said that, given that the Town of Huntsville is donating the estimated 7.5-acre parcel on which the project will be situated, even at the market rates, the units will be more affordable.
The Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) is a not-for-profit organization with a volunteer board, incorporated in 2021. It has been working with the Town of Huntsville to create a land trust development on Florence Street since 2022.
The District Municipality of Muskoka has also funded the project by an estimated $635,000, explained District Councilor and MCLT Board Chair Tatianna Sutherland. How quickly the project is built, and the ultimate number of units, will depend on funding, she added.
Sutherland said the project consists of four phases. The first phase will be a three-storey, 79-unit mass timber building, a modern construction method that uses large, engineered wood panels and beams as the primary structural system rather than concrete or steel.
Unlike traditional wood framing, mass timber uses thick, layered wood products that are strong enough for mid- and even high-rise buildings.
“It will be the first residential building of its kind in Muskoka,” said Sutherland, adding that much of the building is manufactured offsite and “it’s pieced together without measuring and sawing up pieces on the actual property. They’re bringing it in ready to piece together.”
The target occupancy for the first phase of the project is fall of 2027. “We know what the first phase is going to look like, which is the big apartment building, but we don’t know 100 per cent what the other three phases are going to look like, and that depends a bit on government regulations and funding opportunities.”
Sutherland said the District of Muskoka is partnering with MLTC to apply for Federal funding through the Building Canada Homes. The program funds affordable, environmentally sustainable housing built with modern construction methods. “So this project actually checks all of their boxes,” said Sutherland, adding that MLTC and the District of Muskoka are partnering on an application to Building Canada Homes for a funding portfolio that will include a group of initiatives, including MLTC’s first build at 40 Florence Street West.
“So our application for Federal funding is going in in partnership with the District of Muskoka, which will be bringing forward its own projects. So it’s possible that could fund a whole bunch of housing in Muskoka,” said Sutherland.”The Florence Street project is the most shovel-ready project in that portfolio, and so we could hit go if that funding came.”
While traditional rental housing is priced based on what the market will pay, land trusts set rents based on affordability targets rather than maximum profit.
MLTC will hire a property management company and use rental revenue to manage the building. As it accrues rents, it will become more sustainable and rely less on government funding, explained Sutherland.
“This project is critically important,” she said. “Because it’s donated land, the pricing of the units can be controlled.”
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I sit on the board for the land trust so I can clear up a few of the questions here.
Kevin, regarding the height, we are looking at a three-story building for phase one of this development
Michael, regarding fire resistance, this type of wood construction is extremely fire resistant. I saw a video of the controlled burn on one of these buildings in Ottawa. Believe it or not, the fire eventually put itself out due to the advanced technology of the wood construction.
Em, regarding the trees. We have been very intentional on tree removal and we are only removing the trees that absolutely have to be removed. And, we hope to be able to plant additional trees on the property. Every member of the board cares about tree removal, so we’ll be very careful at every stage.
Sandy, The additional phases will depend heavily on available funding. We are actively working on securing additional funding for those phases. We can have some conceptual plans and we are trying to mix different types of units so that it is not all just big buildings.
For the affordability, we are aiming for a well thought out mix of affordability throughout the development. It has been proven through studies that this type of model has the greatest chance of success. And it also avoids stigmatization by not having 100% affordable housing. And development with a mixture of income levels can be a very positive community. Also, having a certain number of market rent units helps keep the project viable for the long term. There are limits to how much funding we can receive from the government, should these decisions are important.
The housing crisis is so severe at the moment, and we need to recognize that this affects people across many different income levels. We have a severe lack of market rentals in our community. And the only way to get the market rent down is by adding units in that price bracket.
Hope this clears a few things up. I can tell you that every single decision the board makes is been through painstaking analysis and a focus on what is best for the community. I’m very excited to move this project forward.
How can we prevent this from getting voted in. .As a house owner on Florence Street I’m against this.
I hate the idea.
Love it, I hope the funding comes through quickly and we can get this excellent example built ASAP
One of the main reasons for building with concrete and steel was strength but, also fire resistance. Is going back to wood wise?
Goodbye, trees. 🙁
Am curious; since these are subjective words in conversation, in this home-rental context, what are the numbers that define: “some affordable, some attainable”? Looks like some “views” may be affected be this and the other “don’t know 100 per cent what the other three phases are going to look like” buildings..
I’m all for mixed high density residential, such as the 4 storey development on Main St W and Tait, which is down low. But what are you thinking putting a 4 story apartment building on the tallest point of Florence Hill??? That thing will be seen from the horizon. I thought the town was going to be seeking feedback about raising heights on buildings but only where appropriate?