All three levels of government are joining private industry in getting a 38-unit affordable housing complex built on Pearl Street, next to the water tower overlooking downtown Sudbury.
Local dignitaries came together at the site on Friday for a media event announcing $6.3 million in federal funding for the project.
Mayor Paul Lefebvre told Sudbury.com the project was also receiving provincial funding, which project lead Tim Laderoute confirmed as being $5.7 million.
The land was donated by local developer Dario Zulich, and the city waived development fees under their Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan.
The 38 one-bedroom units will be administered by the Greater Sudbury Housing Corporation and offer geared-to-income rental rates (30-per-cent of gross monthly income).
“At the end of the day, homelessness — what does that need?” Lefebvre said during Friday’s media event at the top of Pearl Street. “We need more homes, period.”
Between this, the 14-unit Sparks Street building and the 40-unit transitional housing complex on Lorraine Street, he noted there are more than 90 units of affordable housing currently under construction targeting the city’s most vulnerable.
“There’s more coming,” Lefebvre said. “We have plans to continue to apply and get more funding because there’s a strong need out there.”
The mayor also pointed to the recently opened 55-unit Elmwood building in Coniston and the under-construction 347-unit Project Manitou apartment complex overlooking downtown Sudbury (of which 105 are slated to be affordable) as additional steps in the right direction toward filling Sudbury’s affordable housing shortfall.
The 38-unit affordable housing complex under construction on Pearl Street was inspired by Jeremy Mahood several years ago, Zulich told Sudbury.com, crediting the All Nations Church pastor who died in 2019 as helping set the project’s groundwork.
The vision is still for the water tower to be lit up in white and red whenever the Sudbury Wolves score a goal, Zulich said, adding that he already has the lights and still owns the water tower.
“The water tower could be almost a beacon downtown ... It’s almost spiritual,” he said. “You aim for the light and you’ll be taken care of.”
The 38-unit affordable housing complex, called Sudbury Peace Tower Housing, is exactly what Greater Sudbury needs more of, Lefebvre said, describing three levels of government coming together alongside private developers as the perfect formula for affordable housing.
Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe also shared this point with Sudbury.com, noting it’s difficult to incentivize the private sector to get involved in affordable housing on their own.
“That’s where you have federal and provincial governments that really have to step in,” she said.
The five-storey building stretching up the side of the Pearl Street hill will be constructed of modular mass timber panels, and will be fully accessible, with 90 cent of units barrier free.
Although the project shares a similar goal as the transitional supportive housing complex under construction on Lorraine Street, the affordable housing complex on Pearl Street is intended to be used for permanent affordable housing.
The building is anticipated to open within one year, “tops,” Laderoute said.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
