Carlington seniors housing project set to open
New 42-unit building touted as ‘innovative model’
In what was touted as an “exciting milestone years in the making,” the Carlington Community Housing Corp. unveiled its latest project Thursday, featuring 42 new affordable homes for seniors.
With a combined investment of $18 million from the Ottawa Community Housing Corp., the neighbouring Carlington Community Health Centre and all three levels of government, the “green” building features environmentally friendly homes and will include a ground-level primary-care clinic to be operated by CCHC.
Representatives of federal, provincial and municipal governments attended Thursday’s ribbon-cutting and tour of the four-storey complex at 1290 Coldrey Ave., with MP Anita Vandenbeld flanked by local MPPs Jeremy Roberts and Lisa MacLeod, Mayor Jim Watson and councillors Riley Brockington and Mathieu Fleury, chair of the Ottawa Community Housing board.
“Ultimately, it’s our sincere hope that what we’ve done here will be the model that other sectors, other organizations and other community agencies can follow in meeting the needs of vulnerable populations,” said CCHC executive-director Cameron MacLeod.
With access to health and wellness services as close as an elevator ride, MacLeod said the model will “contribute to the government’s ambition to eliminate hallway medicine through excellent teambased primary care and support that will keep seniors out of hospitals in the first place.”
The home will feature a common space for laundry, a kitchenette and a social area on each floor, a raised rooftop garden and a shared gathering space on the main floor for events and activities.
With construction meeting rigorous guidelines to earn certification under the industry-leading Passive House standard, officials said the building will consume 85-per-cent less in heating and cooling energy than a conventional build.
Heating a one-bedroom home will take about as much energy as running a hair dryer, and cost less than $100 per year, said Stephane Giguère, chief executive of Ottawa Community Housing Corp.
“Seniors are healthier and happier when they can live independently longer,” said MP Vandenbeld, highlighting the $4 million the federal government contributed to the project as part of its National Housing Strategy, which is to invest $40 billion countrywide over 10 years.
Vandenbeld said the investment represents “a meaningful re-engagement by the federal government in housing,” and called the Carlington project “an innovative model that needs to be replicated across the country.”
Brockington said he would be among the first to welcome the new tenants to the Carlington community as the seniors are set to move in over the coming days.