A net-zero affordable mixed-housing community in Mississauga

Workforce Housing Non-profit Corporation will develop a proposal outlining a clear set of carbon-reduction applications for one of two potential building sites for a sustainable affordable housing community. The primary site is located at 600 Eglinton Avenue East, in Mississauga, Ontario. This site may sustain 1,200–1,400 housing units as well as a 512-bed long-term care facility. The back-up site is 51 Panorama Court, in nearby Toronto, which may sustain 1,500–1,600 housing units. The Province of Ontario currently owns both sites. The community will be net-zero, employing a variety of energy-saving measures. Among the measures under consideration are: · Passive House standards · Use of electrical heating from low-carbon sources (generated both on- and off-site) · Preferred pricing for electric vehicle parking spaces · Greywater recycling · Local food production using traditional gardens, greenhouses and rainwater capture systems. SAH funding for this plan would be used to determine the optimal implementation of these strategies to achieve a modular approach to low-carbon affordable housing communities with maximum scalability. Workforce will maintain affordability through savings incurred by the large scale of the development and lower energy costs resulting from high-efficiency building designs. Up to 20% of the new development’s residents would be eligible to participate in a five-year rent-to-own program. Renters would have to save 1–5% of their unit’s value to become owners, and pass a financial literacy course with Meridian Credit Union. In turn, the program would provide renter-purchasers with a down payment of at least 20%. Workforce intends to pursue study funding and then capital project funding from FCM. It will approach three different contractors to work with it during the project’s evaluation period to ensure effective implementation of the energy-saving measures. (Project description from original funding application)