Earlier today, representatives from the County of Simcoe and Town of Collingwood gathered to officially break ground on the upcoming Birch Street affordable housing development in Collingwood.
While much progress has been made offsite, on-site construction has ramped up to deliver a new 3-storey affordable rental housing building to the location. This new building will increase the previous building’s capacity from 9 to 30 new residential units for modest-income households to be provided to seniors, working families, and individuals on Simcoe County’s affordable housing waitlist.
As this is prefabricated construction, this building has been constructed throughout the winter in an offsite location, expected to be delivered to 29 & 45 Birch Street in the coming months.
The Town of Collingwood responded to the County of Simcoe’s Municipal Call for Proposals in 2024 with a proposed land donation at 29 & 45 Birch Street. This location is in close proximity to Downtown Collingwood, local businesses, public transit, the waterfront, trails, and Town services.
This proposed development will improve density on existing lands and aligns with the County of Simcoe’s Building Up Simcoe County – Our Community Blueprint for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention strategy, the Simcoe County Housing Corporation Affordable Housing Development Master Plan, and the Town of Collingwood’s Affordable Housing Master Plan. When the project began, it was identified as an ideal opportunity to implement prefabricated construction due to its proposed size, timing and cost.
This is another investment by the County, with support and land donation from the Town, in building up our communities. See the renderings of the proposed housing development on the County’s website at simcoe.ca/BirchStreet.
Supporting families and individuals in our community
The County of Simcoe and the Town of Collingwood are committed to expanding support for and availability of affordable housing in the area.
Affordable Housing has been a key priority for Collingwood Town Council and staff for many years. The Town completed an Affordable Housing Master Plan (AHMP) in November 2023, which provided the Town a set of 26 recommendations for tackling the housing issue. Leveraging municipally-owned land for affordable housing efforts, especially those led by the County or local grass roots organizations, was a key priority in the Master Plan to augment rental housing supply and was vigorously pursued by Town Council in response to the County’s Call for Proposals. The Town continues its commitment to collaborating with other levels of government to facilitate initiatives that bring much-needed affordable housing to our community.
About the County of Simcoe
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separate cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
About The Town of Collingwood
The Town of Collingwood is a progressive community located in the heart of a four-season recreation area on the southern shore of Georgian Bay. The area is well known for its many natural amenities and its rich heritage. Collingwood is a destination for tourism and many business, sporting, and cultural events Collingwood acts as a gateway to the South Georgian Bay region, with stunning landscapes that encourage an active lifestyle, and inspire the local arts and culture community. Downtown Collingwood might just surprise you with 30 plus restaurants, 60 plus boutique shops, spas for relaxing, and live music for grooving…all in the only downtown core recognized by Canada’s Registrar of Historic Places! More recently, the harbourfront area is emerging as an extension of the downtown district. Plans for expanding the amenities and events in the harbourfront area promise to make this a much more prominent tourism destination.
Quotes
“When County Council approved the Building Up Simcoe County – Our Community Blueprint for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention strategy, it set an ambitious goal of helping 21,000 households by 2036. Today’s milestone at Birch Street continues to turn that commitment into action. These 30 new homes are more than just units; they are opportunities for people and families to build a better future. We thank the Town of Collingwood for working with us to reach our collective goals.”
~Warden Basil Clarke, County of Simcoe
We’re grateful to the County of Simcoe for their ongoing commitment to affordable housing and their investment in projects like this that make a real difference in Collingwood. This partnership continues to advance the goals of our Affordable Housing Master Plan, and importantly, these 30 units will provide stability, security, and a place to call home for seniors, working families, and individuals in Collingwood.” ~ Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, Town of Collingwood