City of Greater Sudbury staff are recommending the city use provincial funding to support a plan by the March of Dimes Canada to build a 12-unit apartment building on Bancroft Drive to support people with brain injuries.
“The target population for this project is individuals with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) who require affordable, fully accessible housing, as well as personal attendant care,” the report says. “This new build improves access to affordable, safe and suitable housing in a model that has proven to be sustainable at the existing Bancroft Street site.”
The city has been allocated $3.5 million through a federal/provincial infrastructure fund to support affordable housing construction. The March of Dimes facility would require about $1.8 million.
It was chosen over three other applications: a 51-unit seniors home in Coniston; a 40-unit apartment building on Haig Street for frail seniors, people with brain injuries, physical disabilities and mental-health issues; and, a six-story, 60-unit apartment building on Bruce Street.
The March of Dimes proposal scored highest in the evaluation process, is closest to being shovel-ready and meets all funding guidelines.
“This build assists in addressing the lack of affordable supportive housing for individuals with disabilities in a residential community that has proximity to local amenities,” the report said. “The funding for this project will provide capital support to the construction of the new building, enabling the expansion of 24-hour support services to another 12 individuals with (acquired brain injury).
“This proponent proposes to access approximately half of the allocated funding, and is essentially shovel ready.”
The report recommends the remaining $1.7 million be spent on the Ontario Renovates program.
“This program assists low- to moderate-income homeowner households to repair their home to bring it to acceptable standards while improving the energy efficiency of the unit as well as increase accessibility of their unit through modifications and adaptations,” the report says. “The funding provided would be in the form of a forgivable 10-year loan up to $20,000. The loan would be repayable should the home be sold prior to the 10-year term. The household income would have to be at or below $85,200.”
City council will vote on the plan at its meeting May 9. Read the full report here.
