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40 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 21, 1989 Does Scugog need affordable housing? by Rob Streich Ontario has indicated that Durham Region is an area witha critical shortage of affordable housing. A critical shortage in a province experiencing a housing crisis must be serious indeed. The Social Planning Council and local interest groups spon- sored a meeting about impor- tant issue to discuss whether Scugog Township needs housing to serve special groups. On March 6, about 50 concern- ed residents came out to hear what different officials had to say on the subject. They commented that concessions should be made for first time home buyers, and that an attitudinal wr might help people to accept smaller home sizes with lower price tags. : The five speakers represented government, non-profit housing, social services, co-operative hous- ing and mortgage brokerages. Non-Profit Housing Valerie Cranmer, a planner for the Region and tative for Durham Non-Profit Housing ex- plained the current program in the area and the direction it will. take in the future. She talked about a local trend toward large single family homes over the last few years. This has spurred the province to set an ob- jective of encouraging a minimum of 25 per cent of all new developments to be affordable. - The Region's definition of "af- fordable," expained Cranmer, is a maximum price which at least a third of the working population can afford in rent or mortgage payments. r oy They go on to assess the need for no more than one third of in- come to be spent on housing and came up with a figure of $750 per month or $89,900 to buy. ;justed" if plenty of homes for seniors, the disabled and assistance families, but little attention is being paid to wi families, This is the area of greatest controversy as well. Cranmer said that with the 300 new units being constructed in Pickering and Oshawa, the lack of a site in Scugog is a pressing problem. sia Municipal Input Mayor Howard Hall is the chairman of the Community Munjcipa) Housing Foundation. He said that Scugog Township is the only municipality in Durham which lacks affordable housing. He addressed the difficulty developers are having with the government's demand that 25 per cent of housing be affordable. Locally, there is a problem just finding available property and * room in the utilities' budget, let alone paying increased lot levies. Hall said that these factors will keep the price of real estate well out of the "affordable" range. He admitted that there is a problem with the period of time it takes to gain all the necessary approvals for subdivisions which also adds to the cost. Scugog Township saw a popula- - tion increase of 12.6 per cent bet- ween 1981 and '85. That was dou- ble the figure for Oshawa. Mayor Hall commented that despite the difficulties, anything is possible in Scugog, but the ma- jor stumbling block is whether the provincial government will pro- vide funding for affordable hous- - ing projects. Hall said that many people 'have a low Opinion of affordable housing, and would rather not have it located near their homes. That attitude will have to be "'ad- og were to go ahead with a - planned development, Mayor Hall allowed that with the current sewage and water In Durham, there seems to be A bac. 7 i % % A ev A wi Ls Eo Ca 4 i : i # { \l pr-- 1] y) (= y Li fos L ) ¥ 5. Bini V J g . situation in Port Perry, no affor- 0 dn: Jim Cameron actually enjoyed the snow fall last week. It gave him a good reason to get out, get "*some fresh alr and exercise. Although he has only used his snowblower a half dozen times this winter, he Is glad for each opportunity to bring the old ma- chinery out of retirement and prove to himself that it Is still In good working order. Li dable housing project is con- ceivable for the next five years. Housing Authority Debra McCord from the Durham Housing Authority said that she was, "encouraged that affordable housing is being iden- tified as an issue. It should be an issue." She discussed the 17 seniors projects in the Region which her ~ authority looks after, two of which are in Port Perry. . 'McCord also discussed sub- sidized housing, where 25 per cent of all tenants income is taken for rent, and the difference is made up by the authority. Because this is achieved discreetly and tenants are not segregated into 'Ontario housing projects," they are not '"ghettoized." Under new government policy, everyone is now eligible for su sidized housing, not just seniors "and families. The province "has recognized the need for affordable housing for the many people who are cur- rently paying 50 per cent or more of their income for inflated ac- commodation prices. Co-op Housing Paul Sherwood was on hand representing the Borelia Co- operative Housing Project. -It is the only affordable housing development for families in 0g. Although only in existence for 18 months, and experiencing growing pains, Borelia is firmly established in Port Perry. The co-op has 52 townhouses and 18 apartments, 75 per cent of all units are held in a rent geared to income situation. This means Units vary from "ji Ai those which are heavily subsidiz- ed to those which are rented at market value. ' "Sherwood explained that the idea behind a co-op is that costs are 'reduced by accomplishing much of the work by the co-op. Thus the members handle the administration, cleaning, maintenance, financial and recreational responsibilities, with only one paid employee responsi- ble for coordinating efforts. With all of the complications of this form of living, membership is not given to anyone who walks in the door, but rather it must be earned by meeting specific selec- tion criteria. _ Provincial Projects Ontario is beginning to take an activerole in promoting the need for Affordable Housing through the development of the Homes Now initiative. Homes Now will Jrovide $2 billion for the deve 30,000 new units in Ontario. The conditions of this plan call for 70 per cent of these housing units to subsidized. There is no real limit to how these units are to be cultivated. They can be built new, renovated or purchased and put on the market. The main thrust of this proposal is to get the community involved, and therefore, these homes will not be involved directly with the housing authority. The intent is for community Jroups to apply - for the grant and administer the projects once completed. Any interested organizations should be aware that there is a grant available for non-profit groups to ate, and a fur- hi TS lo eu aie anda and The government is also plana- ing on providing interest free loans to those interested in opment of ' vating buildings and making As many as 40,000 people use : them available for rent. the provincial emergency hostels = every year. . Did you know that: Rooms in boarding houses have Between 1980-86, the cost of liv- declined by over 60 per cent in the last decade, with new rental con- struction down to 35 per cent of 1973 levels. ing rose 50 per cent, while average apartment prices in On- tario increased by 60 per cent. pd ! b H . " Melissa Meeking, had a good time helping. Mom 'out by shovelling the walk after the big snowstorm. She: helped encourage her younger brothers Taylor and Brent to shovel the snow off the path and not back onto It, or over themselves. i Kelly, Zuly, Greenway, Bruce BARRISTERS and SOLICITORS Motor Vehicle -- Criminal Personal Injury -- Wills Real Estate -- Family Law Corporate & Commercial EVENINGS & WEEKENDS BY APPOINTMENT 114 King St. E., Oshawa 723-2278 oy oath ¥E lore line. hero saVi veh s 80d oats! sotuwoo®® Sse padwel ress\® --- CENTRAL PAINT & WALLPAPER 295 RITSON ROAD SOUTH, OSHAWA 434-3939 a a a Pe