Planning the building of 20 affordable and sustainable units for seniors in Cocagne, New Brunswick

Résidences Cocagne Inc. is a new non-profit organization in the small rural community of Cocagne, New Brunswick. The organization was created following a survey conducted among people aged 50 or over in the community, which demonstrated a lack of adequate and affordable housing units for people who are still autonomous and want to remain in the community. With the support of the Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) program, Résidences Cocagne Inc. will explore the feasibility of constructing 20 affordable housing units for seniors in a high-energy-efficiency building to achieve net-zero energy consumption. The land resulting from an agreement with a financial cooperative is large enough to build a second building of equal size, which will be considered in future years. More specifically, the planning grant of the SAH program will enable the organization to identify baseline data, carry out research on the municipality’s standards and codes, develop a project concept including an architectural design plan and a geotechnical study, and complete a Class D assessment of investments required to complete the project. Finally, funding for this plan will allow the applicant to create a pro forma to access additional sources of funding available at the CMHC and FCM for the building’s construction. (Project description from original funding application)