On Monday, March 21st we celebrated the Ground Breaking of Danforth Village Estates at Toronto City Hall. Many of our political, business, and media partners come out to celebrate with us and to put shovels in a big construction cake! Thank you to all of our guests for joining us. See photos from the day below.
Affordable Housing Champion and Councillor Ana Bailão addressing the crowd
Breaking "ground"! This wonderful cake represented the construction site at Danforth Village Estates. Cake by: Cake Glam
From left to right: Deputy Mayor Glenn De Baeremaeker representing Central Scarborough where Danforth Village Estates is to be built, Options for Homes CEO Heather Tremain, Councillor David Shiner (politician), future homeowner Rabiah B., Affordable Housing Champion Councillor Ana Bailão, Councillor Frances Nunziata
From left to right: Options for Homes CEO Heather Tremain; Deputy Mayor Glenn de Baeremaeker; Councillor David Shiner; future homeowner Rabiah B.; Affordable Housing Champion Councillor Ana Bailao; Senior Project Manager at Tridel Mario Cimicata representing the builders of Danforth Village Estates, Deltera; Councillor Frances Nunziata
From left to right: Heintzman Co-op Board President Christine Swiderski, Board member Rita Monsma, Options for Homes CEO Heather Tremain
Deputy Mayor Glenn de Baeremaeker addresses the crowd
From left to right: Options for Homes Marketing Co-ordinator Jessica Speziale, CEO Heather Tremain, and Director of Sales and Marketing Mary Pattison
For more information and to register for our next free info session to learn how you can become a homeowner at Danforth Village Estates, visit optionsforhomes.ca.
Shovels in the ground part of Options for Homes push to build 525 affordable units in Toronto over the next two years
TORONTO, March 21, 2016 – Options for Homes CEO Heather Tremain and Toronto's Housing Advocate, Councillor Ana Bailão, joined future affordable housing owners at Toronto City Hall today to celebrate the ground breaking of Danforth Village Estates, a new affordable home ownership development in Scarborough.
On Danforth Road just north of Eglinton Avenue East, the shovels are going into the ground as work moves into construction stage on 250 suites of affordable ownership housing. Another example from developer Options for Homes proving that homeownership for low-to-moderate income families is within reach in Toronto.
The development, close to the TTC, shops, restaurants, public schools and overlooking a large park featuring walking trails and basketball courts, is made possible through Options for Homes, Canada’s largest non-profit delivery agent of affordable home ownership. With prices that started at $146,000, the Danforth Village Estates show that - with the support of a proven non-profit business model - the option to owning a home could be a consideration for many low-to-mid income earners. The Danforth Village Estates will be built to the high quality standards for which Deltera, Tridel’s construction arm, is known.
“Toronto is home to all levels of income earners,” explains Options for Homes CEO Heather Tremain. “So it goes without saying that everyone who works to make this a great city should also be able to live here as well. With the majority of units bought by families whose average income is $ 53,000, we are able to help Torontonians realize the dream of homeownership in a vibrant community.”
A $4 million investment from the City of Toronto's Home Ownership Assistance Program helped make the homes even more affordable. HOAP delivers funding to non-profit housing providers to reduce their up-front construction costs. The funds help pay the cost of city development charges, building permits and planning fees.
"Options for Homes is an important partner in our work to provide more affordable housing opportunities to residents," said Toronto's Housing Advocate, Councillor Ana Bailão. "I am proud that City Council has invested $4 million to make these homes more affordable."
The estimated monthly carrying costs for Danforth Village Estate units with a 25 year mortgage started at $1,166 (includes taxes and maintenance fees). The fact that 88% of the units are already sold shows a strong market need for this type of housing option. Occupancy will begin summer 2017.
Options for Homes is starting construction on delivering 525 units of affordable home ownership at two developments in Scarborough (Danforth Village Estates) and East York (The Village by Main Station). These projects come on top of a robust pipeline of 1390 units already planned to be built.
For example, a new project at Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue is also set to launch in 2016. Shortly thereafter, sales will begin at a downtown site with the aim of delivering affordable homes to an additional 300 families and individuals.
3-D Rendition of Danforth Village Estates
About Options for Homes
Options for Homes is Canada’s largest non-profit delivery agent of affordable home ownership. Now in its 21st year, Options creates ownership opportunities for households with incomes as low as $30,000 per year by providing purchasers with down payment assistance. Since the first development in Toronto’s Distillery District, Options and its affiliates have created homes for over 6,500 households using a unique housing model. Options for Homes is about to break ground on two new projects in Toronto that together will enable 525 families to own their own homes.
Stay connected with Options for Homes online at www.optionsforhomes.ca
Twitter @OptionsforHomes
Facebook www.Facebook.com/OptionsGroup
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/jspeziale/videos
For more renderings or to interview Options for Homes CEO Heather Tremain, please contact:
Anthony Westenberg
Options for Homes
b. 416-867-1501 ext. 239 / m. 416 831-7502
awestenberg@optionsforhomes.ca
TORONTO, March
8, 2016 – Heather Tremain, Harvard Fellow and development consultant, has
been appointed the new chief executive officer for Options for Homes, Canada’s largest non-profit delivery agent of affordable home ownership.
Tremain replaces Mike Labbé,
who founded and led the organization for 21 years. Mike is now the president and CEO of Options
International, established to deliver affordable housing outside of Canada,
primarily in Africa.
“I am delighted I was able to recruit Heather to Options for
Homes. She brings the right mix of development smarts and social conscience that
Options needs to reach the next stage of growth,” Labbé says.
Already, Tremain is setting the bar high stating “within three
years, we expect to be delivering 1,000 condo units a year, priced under the
average market price of housing in the GTA.
People should have the chance to buy a home, at an attainable price, and
build equity for their futures. With the
Options for Homes model, it is possible to make the dream of affordable home
ownership a reality. We want to reverse this unfair trend towards wealth
inequality in our society.”
Tremain comes to Options’ Toronto head office from Vancouver,
where she was a principal of Urban Fabric Group, a consultancy that advises
non-profits on their real estate strategies.
She was also a founder of Vancouver’s first green building development
and consulting company, reSource Rethinking Building, which developed an
innovative model for affordable ownership. Her projects have received numerous
awards from the Urban Development Institute (BC), Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC), as well as the Mayor’s Environmental Award in Vancouver. In addition, she was the creator and producer
of the internationally broadcast television series, Healthy Homes, seen on HGTV
in North America.
In relocating to Ontario, Tremain is returning to the part of the
country where she was raised. “I am
excited to be in Toronto. I think the conditions are ripe here to really raise
the bar and make beautiful and affordable condominium homes available to even
more people in this dynamic city. In
Toronto, I sense that we have all the necessary building blocks to scale up
affordable housing production – demand, political support and a strong developer
- in Options for Homes,” says Tremain.
Options for Homes is Canada’s largest
non-profit delivery agent of affordable home ownership. Now in its 21st year, Options creates ownership opportunities for households with
incomes as low as $30,000 per year by providing purchasers with down payment
assistance. Since the first development in Toronto’s Distillery District,
Options and its affiliates have created homes for over 6,500 households using a
unique housing model. Options for Homes is about to break ground on two new
projects in Toronto that together will enable 525 families to own their own
homes.
