Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce is receiving financial support from Bruce Power to build eight new affordable townhomes in Owen Sound.
The organization received the $150,000 donation last week for the project, which is set to break ground on the city’s east side later this year.
Habitat Executive Director Greg Fryer says, “It’s part of our home ownership model. We build the homes with qualifying families, they purchase the home from us with a zero down, zero interest mortgage that we hold at Habitat and they make monthly payments to us. All the donations, including this donation from Bruce Power, gets recycled through our mortgage program and we use the money from the families on their mortgage payments to build more houses in the future.”
He says this is a new $2.5 million project for Owen Sound, after the organization built something similar in Hanover over 10 years ago.
The families for the homes have not been selected yet, and Fryer says they are still taking applications, which can be found on the Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce website here.
“We are about to start family selection later this spring, this summer,” says Fryer. “We have three main criteria. First is families need to demonstrate they have a need for affordable housing, they are living in over-crowded situations, they need more space for their families, or they are paying too much rent. Second, they need to have an income that they can pay a mortgage to us at Habitat, and minimal debt. Thirdly, they are willing to partner with us and they demonstrate that by committing to completing 500 volunteer hours building the homes with us.”
Additionally, Fryer says they are looking to build more homes across the region when they are able to buy land.
“We are working on a partnership with the Town of Saugeen Shores and Wilson Developments, where Wilson will build housing units against back townhomes in this plan. We have an opportunity to purchase five of those units at low cost, much lower than what we could build they for, and then in turn, sell them to qualifying families,” says Fryer.
While the organization is still about $1 million off from its goal, they plan to hold a golf fundraising tournament with more details to come. They are also accepting community donations, which can be made on the organization’s website here.
