Construction begins at Pinery Trail!
Toronto Mayor John Tory joined Habitat partner families, volunteers, staff and supporters, along with staff and board members of Toronto Foundation, for the official Ribbon Cutting ceremony at Pinery Trail on August 4. The 50-unit townhouse development is Habitat GTA’s largest building project to date. Financing for the first block of 15 homes is being provided, in part, through a $1.5 million social impact investment from Toronto Foundation, the first of its kind in Canada.
Mayor Tory spoke to the crowd about the crucial role affordable housing initiatives play in Toronto’s housing mix.
“We rely on organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Toronto Foundation as critical partners in building affordable housing for families in the city. Today’s launch of Habitat for Humanity’s largest build project ever in Toronto and Toronto Foundation’s investment in this project is exactly the kind of action we were hoping for when we launched the Open Door program. The City is happy to support this project and do what we can to make it easier to build affordable housing at a faster pace,” said Mayor Tory.
The $1.5 Million loan from Toronto Foundation will augment funds and resources provided by individuals and corporate donors and will be paid back through mortgage payments from the 15 families who will become homeowners when this first phase is completed in 2017. Importantly, as a social impact investment it aims to generate positive and measurable social outcomes in addition to financial returns.
“Habitat for Humanity GTA is a pillar organization in our city and we are delighted it is the first recipient of a Toronto Foundation social impact investment,” said Richard Peddie, Vice-Chair, Board of Directors, Toronto Foundation. “With this loan, we look forward to seeing measurable improvements to the quality of life of the homeowner families,” he added.
“The GTA is so enriched by the diversity of our citizens, but there are thousands of families who just need a hand up so they can realize their full potential,” explained Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat for Humanity GTA. “The Habitat for Humanity homeownership model provides that hand up and this new social impact investment partnership with Toronto Foundation will enable us to do that for ever increasing numbers of families.”
Located in Toronto’s east end, the Pinery Trail project is the first Habitat GTA build to use a new, denser build form of “back-to-back” stacked townhouses featuring 3-, 4- and 5-bedroom units. The project will be built in three phases and will house 50 working, low-income families by 2019.
To follow progress on the Pinery Trail Project visit our website forconstruction updates, to donate to the project, or sign up to volunteer on the build site.