Brantford-Brant Housing Plan Faces Increasing Costs

The cost of building new affordable housing units has increased dramatically in Brantford and Brant, Says a Municipal Housing Report.

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The Report, presented recently to the social services committee, Says the per unit cost of construction has increesed 107 per hundred since 2020.

By way of Example, Construction of the Municipally-Developed Units at 5 Marlene Ave. In Brantford was $ 174,427 per unit. The estimated cost of an upcoming municipally-developed building at 346 shellard lane is expected to be $ 361,429.

According to the report, the shellard lane Project, which will include 70 units, will cost about $ 25.3 million. The Marlene Avenue Project results in 30 units and cost just over $ 5.2 million.

Coun. Richard Carpenter, A City Council Member of the Social Services Committee, Found It “Astounding” that a single unit could cost upwards of $ 350,000. He Wondered if the per unit cost included the cost of the land.

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The per unit cost doesn’t includes The Land, Said Mary Musson, The City’s Senior Director of Community Services and Social Development.

“The cost of Construction Materials and Labour has increased significantly eSpecially through the (covid-19) pandemic,” Musson Said. “Over the Last Three Years We’ve Seen Costs Increase Quite Exorbitantly.”

Musson Said Affordable Housing is in a crisis right now widely due to severe underfunding by various levels of government.

“We need to build more housing to keep up with Economic Constraints that people are experienced,” Musson Said. “Social Assistance Rates Have Remaine Low and Just To Give An Example, The Average Market Rate for a Bachelor Apartment in the City of Brantford is just over $ 900 in Month.”

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At the same time, Single Person on Ontario Works Social Assistance Only Receives $ 733 in Month, Musson Said.

Musson made the comments During a Discussion of the Annual Update on Municipal Housing Development in Brantford and Brant.

According to the report, Progress is Being Made As Work Continues to Build 843 Affordable Housing Units by 2030.

Under the Brantford Brant Municipal Housing Master Plan, 506 of Those Units Were to Be Municipally Development. The balance are to be developed by non-professional organization.

SO FAR, 263 or 52 per hundred of the 506 units have been built, the report Says.

The Report also Outlines where the money has come from to support the total of 101 Affordable Housing Construction at Marlene avenue, 18 Stirton Aven., 177 Colborne St. and Lucy Marcko Place.

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The combined cost of the projects was just over $ 23 million with $ 4.4 Million of the funding come from the Sale of 282 Stanley Street, The Form Arrowdale Municipal Golf Race, $ 2.95 million from the Sale of Other City Assets, $ 3.15 million from City Reserve, $ 4.4 . Million from development charges and $ 4.1 million from non-tax supported.

Two Other Projects in Progress – 43 Units at 389 West St. and 70 Units at Shellard Lane – Will Cost, in Total, $ 36.7 million.

Funding for Those Projects included: $ 19.1 million from City Reserves; $ 9.1 million from the Sale of Arrowdale, (282 Stanley St.); $ 3.2 Million from Grants and $ 5.1 million from non-Tax supported.

Meanwhile, a new initiative is being launched to help encourages non-proper organizations to build affordable housing.

The city is entering an agent with jaycee brantford non-propit homes corp. to provide a $ 62,500 per unit subsidy to build 24 units at 32 bridge St.

The Money Will Come from Future Taxes from the proposal of the Form Arrowdale Property at 282 Stanley St.

Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis Said the City is Committed to Building More Affordable Homes Even Though Costs Have Increased.

“The love that we go to go to have to allocate will be grateer Than we thought it was going to be three or oven years ago,” Davis Said.

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