London Mayor Josh Morgan announced Thursday that a vacant retirement home had been acquired to be turned into supportive housing
In his State of the City speech on Thursday, Mayor Josh Morgan announced a group of four local developers snatched up a vacant long-term home in south London. The goal is to retrofit the building into supportive housing with wrap-around services. Reporter Jack Moulton reveals what we know so far.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Article content
Where is this happening?
The proposal centers on a vacant long-term care home at 46 Elmwood Place just south of downtown. The Elmwood Place Retirement Home, managed by Versa Care, closed two years ago and recently was acquired for several million dollars by the Developing for Change group, a collection of four local developers.
What is on the table?
The proposal, announced by Mayor Josh Morgan during his second state of the city address, is to retrofit and renovate the building to create 40 “highly supportive housing” units, coupled with wrap-around services. The building would be managed by Indwell, a charity that has developed affordable housing projects in London.
Adam Carapella, vice-president of Tricar Group, one of the developers involved in the project, said the roof and bones of the building are in good shape, lending to their interest in acquiring the building. Another part of the group’s interest was that the previous use of the property likely means there isn’t any need for rezoning.
Advertisement 3
Article content
The renovations would prepare the rooms for individual living, including more washrooms. If all proceeds well, Carapella said they hope to have residents before the end of the year.
How did this come about?
Carapella said the Developing for Change group got started when the four developers – Tricar Group, Auburn Group, Drewlo Holdings and Sifton Properties – attended the health and homelessness summit last year and were inspired by the “desperate need” for supportive housing in the city.
“This joint effort, rooted in the builders’ understanding of the retrofitting process and Indwell’s expertise in managing highly supportive housing operations, positions them as ideal collaborators,” Tricar said in a statement.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Carapella said Tricar already had a relationship with Indwell on the Embassy Commons housing project in Old East Village, and wanted to recreate its success.
What has the reaction been?
“O“Our hope is that this project can be successful and act as a catalyst for other supportive housing projects within the city,” Carapella said.
Jeff Neven, chief executive of Indwell, said, “Creative partnerships like this one will accelerate life-saving solutions for people seeking dignified, safe and permanent housing. Our local business partners share our commitment to building thriving communities, and their support allows us to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in need.”
Morgan, speaking to reporters after the speech, called the initiative “a tremendous opportunity where developers have come together to try to be part of the solution to health and homelessness and are putting their money on the table to make this happen.”
Article content