Ontario Street Housing Development
Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS), Northumberland County Housing Corporation (NCHC), Habitat for Humanity Northumberland (HFHN) and Northumberland County are partnering to jointly develop and manage an affordable housing complex at 473 Ontario Street in Cobourg.
The Ontario Street housing development will introduce 62 new affordable housing units to the community, with a mixture of tenure and affordability types, including:
- Units geared to Indigenous households, with direct access to Indigenous supports such as First Nation, Métis and Inuit cultural teachings, Traditional Healers and other programming
- Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing
- Affordable and attainable market rental units
Development status
Notice: In late November and early December, crews will be on-site to remove brush and trees for a geotechnical study.
- The project is in the pre-design phase. This phase includes engineering studies and reports, planning application, and schematic design. Construction is targeted to begin in 2026.
- The County will update the schedule once the pre-design phase is complete.
- In fall of 2024, additional fieldwork will include a soil testing and a Stage 2 Archaeological Assessment.
- In 2024, the County hired consultants to complete a Stage 1 Archaeological Assessment, property survey, and tree inventory and preservation plan.
- In 2023, the Project Team hired an Architectural and Engineering firm and a Construction Manager. Together they are working to design, tender, and oversee construction.
- In September 2021, Northumberland County entered into the Memorandum of Understanding with HFHN, NCHC and OAHS.
- In November 2019, Northumberland County Council approved the purchase of land located at 473 Ontario Street, Cobourg.
Funding for pre-construction activities includes:
- In May 2021, the County received a $175,000 grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Affordable Housing Program for pre-construction studies for this development.
- In July 2021, the County received a $150,000 grant and a $156,000 interest-free loan towards this development from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Seed Funding program, for pre-construction activitiesConstruction it targeted to begin in 2025.
Updates
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Innovative partnership will deliver diverse affordable housing options for Northumberland - September 15, 2021
Our partners
Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS)
OAHS will own and operate 32 units in the Ontario Street Housing Development, which will be geared to Indigenous households. These units will increase access to affordable housing for the Indigenous community, providing residents with direct access to Indigenous supports such as First Nation, Métis and Inuit cultural teachings, Traditional Healers and other programming.
Northumberland County Housing Corporation (NCHC)
25 units in the Ontario Street Housing Development will be Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI), affordable and attainable market rental units owned and operated by the Northumberland County Housing Corporation (NCHC). The NCHC is a community housing provider in Northumberland County with over 344 owned and operated housing units. The NCHC provides rent-geared-to-income (RGI) and affordable rental options to low-income households in Northumberland.
Habitat for Humanity Northumberland (HFHN)
5 units in the Ontario Street Housing Development will be geared to Equity Partnership households through Habitat for Humanity Northumberland. HFHN’s Equity Partnership program will enable occupants of these units to build equity that can be transferred in the future to a HFHN or private market home.
Northumberland County
Northumberland County purchased the land at 473 Ontario Street in 2019 with the intention of partnering with these three organizations - which offer unique housing services in the community - to expand access to affordable housing in Northumberland. The County will be providing development services to advance this important project.
