From the House of Commons to the kitchen table, housing affordability became the topic of discussion this year. And it should come as no surprise.
According to a survey commissioned by Global News in spring 2022, 83% of people in the GTA are worried about having less to spend on food, savings, transportation, and other costs to afford their home, regardless of whether they own or rent.
This year, we stepped up to create more impact than ever before on affordable housing, not just by planning to build more homes, but also by advocating at every level of government.
Working together with the support of volunteers, donors, community-minded builders, fellow non-profits and governments, 2022 was a year where Habitat GTA positioned ourselves to drive forward a better future for our region by addressing the housing affordability crisis in words and in actions.
Here’s what we did:
WE LED THE CHARGE FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES – AND WE WERE HEARD.
2022 saw people casting ballots in a Provincial election in June, followed by municipal elections across the GTA and beyond in October. In every poll that was available the rising cost of living was the number one concern – and at the centre of that was housing.
Amidst the discussions and debates, Habitat GTA emerged as a clear and trusted voice of expertise, guidance, reason and most importantly – hope – to address this crisis. Our CEO Ene Underwood, who sat on the Ontario Affordable Housing Task Force earlier in the year, provided bold advice to political leaders and voters alike through a highly-read
op-ed.
Leading up to the municipal elections, Ene regularly appeared on CBC Radio, TVO and more to provide GTA voters with real, practical advice about what they need to ask their local candidates.
When the Province released its bill to address the shortage of housing Ene became a central voice again, appearing in media many times over. Habitat GTA has emerged as a major player in our region and is increasingly consulted on matters of affordable housing and housing policy at the Provincial in addition to Municipal level.
WE DIDN’T JUST BUILD COMMUNITIES; WE WERE A PART OF THEM
No matter where you are in the GTA, chances are you aren’t very far from our impact. Whether it was a fundraising event, community build, or welcome home celebration, Habitat for Humanity GTA was a part of your local neighbourhood, including:
485 Normandy Street
We continue to build a 50-unit community that will be made up of a wide variety of affordable housing options. For the first time since the pandemic began, we held our first Women (re)Build Durham event.
423 Old Weston Road
Our construction teams, led by our volunteer crew leads starting building 20 new affordable homes in the vibrant new Reunion Crossing community being built in in the former Stockyards area of Toronto. We also held a highly-successful Women (re)Build Toronto event that captured the attention and – hearts – of local leaders and community members. Combined, these fundraising events raised more than $400, 000.
1926 Lake Shore Ave E.
We worked with DF Lakeshore Ltd. to create six affordable homeownership units. These homes will soon be sold through our unique Habitat homeownership model to six Unity Health employees who are on the front lines of keeping our communities healthy.
2175 Keele Street
We worked with the Daniels Corporation, DiamondCorp, Kilmer Group to welcome three Habitat families to their new homes at 2175 Keele Street.
159 Wellesley Street
Working with our developer partners Alterra, DiamondCorp and Kilmer Group we welcomed 8 new Habitat partner families to their new homes at 159 Wellesley St.
We also welcomed several families to their new Habitat homes at 70 Annie Craig Drive, 36 Forest Manor Road and 1514 Weston Road. In nearly every instance, these homes were delivered thanks to developer partnerships. collaborations like these allow developers to increase affordable housing stock, allowing Habitat for Humanity GTA to partner with more families in need of an affordable mortgage and quality homes. The result is a more inclusive, resilient and equitable GTA for us all.
OUR VOLUNTEERS DROVE OUR IMPACT
Wherever you look, our passionate and dedicated volunteers are helping in our mission to build more affordable homes so families can thrive. At our Women (re)Build events, it was volunteer Crew Leaders who guided participants, teaching them new skills while ensuring they had fun building homes.
In 2023, more than 100 Humber College Nursing students each volunteered 100 hours across our Habitat ReStores. As Etobicoke ReStore Manager Joann Guevara put it:
“The nursing volunteers have made a huge impact at our Habitat ReStore keeping everything nice and tidy and organized while engaging with customers. It has been a wonderful experience for all of us--help in the stores means more sales, which means more dollars to go towards building homes.”
In addition, we partnered with the New Circles agency to offer 12 newcomers the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat GTA and Habitat ReStore to gain valuable life skills. So far this group contributed nearly 300 hours and picked up important administrative, customer service, communication and computer skills that will help them as they enter the labour market.
OUR DONORS WERE THERE FOR US
(IN PERSON!)
For the first time since the pandemic, we were finally able to gather with the passionate, generous people who support Habitat for Humanity GTA and help make our work possible. We were part of several exciting events:
DONOR APPRECIATION
We hosted our donors and got a chance to express our appreciation directly. Those who attended got the chance to see various works of art from the children of our Habitat GTA partner families who painted what home means to them.
CULINARY BATTLE
Toronto celebrity Chef Joe Friday hosted the Chef Collective Culinary Battle – an exciting event where local chefs compete to create two original dishes in just one hour before a panel of industry-expert judges. Apart from taste buds being tantalized, proceeds supported Habitat GTA.
RAD MARKETING ELITE CLUB
Our friends at RAD Marketing held a posh recognition and networking event, raising more than $100,000 in a single night, bringing the two-year total contribution from RAD, its partners and its Elite Club members to over $220,000 for Habitat GTA.
DANIELS - A DEDICATED DEVELOPER PARTNER
At Habitat GTA we know partnerships are critical to creating as many affordable homeownership opportunities as possible. Alone, we can only do so much – but by partnering with like-minded builders who also want to see a more affordable GTA – we can accomplish much more.
That’s why this year, it was so important for us to recognize The Daniels Corporation by presenting them with our first-ever Developer for Humanity Lifetime Achievement Award.
Daniels has been helping Habitat GTA for 25 years, showing extraordinary generosity and goodwill by contributing land and completed homes with a combined value of more than $6 million dollars. That philanthropy has helped change lives by creating homes for 94 families in Mississauga, Brampton, Pickering, Aurora and Toronto.
As our CEO, Ene Underwood put it best:
“What truly speaks to the incredible character of The Daniels Corporation is the simple fact that they have supported Habitat for Humanity GTA to help empower dozens of local families – not because they had to, but because they chose to do so.”
Thanks Daniels, and here’s to helping many more families to come.
JIM WALKED 500 MILES...AND RAISED $150,000
During a time when it can feel like there is much division in the world, we at Habitat GTA are so fortunate to get to see the beauty in people and the power of humanity.
Meet Jim Garner. He is a dedicated member of Habitat GTA’s board of directors and since 2020. He is the Chair of our Board’s Fundraising Cabinet and has been providing his years of valuable expertise on matters relating to finance, fundraising and risk management to name a few.
But in September – he hopped on a plane and headed for Northern Spain, wherehe embarked on a 40-day trek on the historic Camino Del Norte trail from Irun to Santiago de Compostela. As Jim put it, the hike was in support of people in need of an affordable home:
“I am dedicating this journey in support of the thousands of working families in the GTA who are living in unhealthy, unsafe, overcrowded, and unaffordable homes across Toronto. The recent escalation of inflation has only added to the stressors working families are facing as they try to absorb staggering increases in food, gas and other necessities on household budgets already weighed down by high housing costs.”
Jim’s story inspired others to say the least. By the end of his hike, he raised more than $150,000 for Habitat for Humanity GTA. Thanks Jim, you can put your feet up now.
WE HELPED BREAK DOWN THE RACIAL HOMEOWNERSHIP GAP
Homeownership has allowed generations of Canadians to build equity to start businesses, provide for retirement and transfer wealth to children however, the Black community has been left out. In Toronto 75% of residents who identify as white are homeowners, while 69% of residents who identify as racialized rent their homes.
In 2022 we continued our work to change that by partnering with the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI), a fellow not-for-profit organization founded by businessperson, entrepreneur and “Dragon’s Den” investor Wes Hall. Working together, we helped form and launch the BNI Homeownership Bridge Program. Through this partnership, Habitat for Humanity GTA provides affordable homes to the program so that affordable homeownership opportunities are created exclusively for local Black families.
We’re looking forward to continuing our work with BNI to help empower 200 new Black homeowners by 2027, welcoming the first families home in 2023.
[HABITAT] RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN HUMANITY
Our 11 Habitat ReStore locations continue to sell quality gently-used furniture, appliances and home improvement materials, with proceeds supporting Habitat for Humanity GTA’s efforts to build affordable homes. Not only can you shop and find everything from that one-of-a-kind coffee table to the perfect vanity for your bathroom, to your next comfy couch, but you can feel good about supporting a cause that makes homes more affordable right in your community.
PREPARING FOR LIFTOFF IN 2023
It’s easy to look at the housing affordability challenge as if it were a mountain, one that is insurmountable. These are times when renting a two-bedroom apartment costs $3,319 – a 24% increase from the year before.* At the same time, 63% of people – especially younger generations – have given up on ever buying a home**.
But we at Habitat for Humanity GTA believe this is our time.
We have formed numerous developer partnerships, while actively building three communities in Brampton, Oshawa and Toronto that will provide homes to more than 60 families next year alone. And, we continue to press all levels of government to update and implement policies that will help open the floodgates for affordable housing to flourish.
Buckle up and stay tuned for exciting updates up as we continue our work to create affordable homes at the following locations:
- 423 Old Weston Road in Toronto, where families will be moving into 20 homes
- 25 William Street in Brampton, where we’ll begin building 12 homes
- 3060 Eglinton in Toronto, where we’ll begin building 10 homes
- 485 Normandy Street in Oshawa, where families will move into 26 Habitat homes
- 355 Coxwell Avenue in Toronto, where we’ll work with Community Affordable Housing Solutions (CAHS) to deliver 33 affordable homes
- 70 Annie Craig in Toronto where, 1 family will move into their Habitat home
- 12620 Kennedy Road in Caledon where 1 family will move on from their Habitat home and a new family will move in
- 1525 Kingston Drive in Pickering, where 1 family will move on from their Habitat home and another family will move in
- 1926 Lakeshore Boulevard West, where 6 families will move into their Habitat homes
- 159 Wellesley Street East in Toronto, where 3 families will move into their Habitat homes
- 130 River Street in Toronto where 1 family will move into their Habitat home
- 50 Sky Harbour in Brampton where 2 families will move into their Habitat homes
- 1360 Bovaird in Brampton where 1 family will move into their Habitat home
All together and combined with everything else we’ve got lined up for 2023 and beyond these efforts will help lay the groundwork so that we at Habitat GTA can deliver 500 new affordable homes within the next five to seven years – more than in our entire history.
Whether you are a volunteer, donor or simply a fan of our work, thank you for supporting Habitat for Humanity GTA. Together, we will climb that mountain and regain a GTA that is affordable, equitable and allows working families to flourish.
"I know that when you give your time as volunteers or when you or your company sponsors an event or partners with Habitat GTA as donors, you are most likely thinking about the numbers – how many families will move into homes, how many lives will be impacted. For my family, it seems impossible that while I sit in my new home, there were hundreds of people who helped get me here when for so long it has seemed as if I have been trying to climb up a hill completely alone."
Alyssa KeelHabitat GTA HomeownerIt wouldn't have been possible without our Supporters
VISIONARIES - $200,000 +
GROUNDBREAKERS - $100,000 to $199,999
DEVELOPERS -$25,000 to $99,999
CONTRACTORS - $10,000 to $24,999
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GROUNDBREAKERS - $80,000 - $149,999 |
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INNOVATORS - $50,000 - $79,999 |
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ARCHITECTS - $25,000 - $49,999 |
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DESIGNERS - $10,000 - $24,999 |
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| CONTRACTORS - $5,000 - $9,999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FRAMERS - $2,500 - $4,999 |
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| BRICKLAYERS - $1,000 - $2,499 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Karline Rhodes |
| Kate Dickson Design |
| Keith Mashinter |
| Keith Telfer |
| Ken Tanenbaum |
| Larry and Anne Dunlop |
| Laura Anthony |
| Laura Lafortune |
| Lauren Mah |
| Linda Weber |
| Louis Krushnisky |
| Louise Fast |
| Maria Blackmore & George Smith |
| Marian Walsh |
| Marion Asao |
| Mark Cryer |
| Martha J. Breithaupt |
| Mary Macdonald |
| Matthew Twigge |
| Melvin Cohen |
| Meredith Keenan |
| Miu Ha Bernadette So |
| Mizan Ibrahim |
| Nanci Mackenzie |
| Nancy and Michal Bardecki |
| Natalie Nash |
| Neil C. Hetherington |
| Niall Murphy |
| Otto von Celsing |
| Patrick & Ramona Cronin |
| Phyllis Rozendal |
| Richard Deslauriers |
| Richard Macklem |
| Robert and Mary Vandervennen |
| Robert Bradeen |
| Robin and Judith Lee |
| Rodney Mano |
| Rosemary and Rob McLeese |
| Rosemary Macklem |
| Safwat Zaky |
| Sean Dempsey |
| Sean Power |
| Sheila Davis |
| Shelly Sinukoff |
| Dr. Stephanie Zhou |
| Steven and Sharon Ranson |
| Susan Atkinson |
| Susan Riedlinger |
| Susan Sanderson |
| Teresa Eng |
| The Murtaugh Fund |
| The Swedish Lutheran Church |
| Thornridge Homes |
| Tom and Catherine Hayes |
| Vickie Ng |
| Zelda Harris |