Construction set to begin on Trillium Way affordable housing

By Casandra Turnbull

Construction of a new affordable housing apartment building on Trillium Way in Paris is officially underway this week.

The County of Brant Building Department issued the building permit for VERLY Construction Group to begin construction on the net zero energy ready 49unit building, according to a joint press release issued by the County of Brant and City of Brantford this week. The media release also stated the building will be constructed with optimal efficiency, and over the course of a year, generate energy onsite, using clean renewable resources, in a quantity equal to or greater than the total amount of energy consumed on site, noted the release

In March 2022, the City of Brantford and the County of Brant approved the creation of a new affordable housing build on Trillium Way in Paris – one of the collaborative projects being implemented to achieve the deliverables set out in the Mayors’ Housing Partnerships Task Force Affordable Housing Action Plan. The Trillium Way housing development will be occupied by singles, couples, small families, and seniors within the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.

A combination of 49 one and two bedroom units for a mixture of income levels and households, this project is in partnership with Brantford Native Housing, Nova Vita, and Sensity and will create much needed additional housing.

The need for more affordable housing in the community has never been greater. The press release also states there are over 1,200 households on the centralized housing waitlist for community housing, whereby over 65 per cent of applicants are waiting for one and two-bedroom units including seniors, people with no dependents and small families.

“Due to the unprecedented housing crisis in our country, access to affordable housing has never been so needed. In both the City and County, we have heard the challenges that those in our community face and we are thankful that through our partnership with the City of Brantford we are able to offer initiatives such as the Trillium Way development. This is one step towards providing those in need with the opportunity to not only stay in our community but also feel the safety and security that housing brings,” said Mayor David Bailey This 5-story building will be constructed adjacent to the existing affordable housing apartments on site and the targeted completion date is November 2024 The County of Brant will foot the estimated $12 million to build it using a combination of funds from surplus properties, long term debt and reserve funds, mainly derived from the sale of Brant County Power The City of Brantford and the County of brant have a cost sharing agreement which, among other things, appoints the city as service manager for Housing and Homelessness services for both municipalities. The county has committed $15 million over a 10-year period to tackle the affordable housing crisis in this community. By agreeing to cover 100% of the Trillium Way project costs, the county will almost meet its commitment through this project alone. Community members interested in residing at this development can review affordable housing eligibility requirements and apply for the centralized housing waitlist at wwwBrantford ca/FindAffordableHousing or by calling 519-759-4150.