A community group in Queens has secured $40,000 in provincial funding to work on increasing the supply of affordable housing for seniors.
The Queens Care Society received a grant from the province’s $916,000 Community Housing Capacity Building Program.
Society member Susan MacLeod says the group will use the money to hire an experienced coordinator who will have several responsibilities.
“Dealing with potential developers, working with other government levels that support housing, working with other funding agencies to acquire monies when the build is to be done,” said MacLeod.
The group is exploring options but MacLeod says they’re interested in developing an affordable co-op housing model where tenants can buy-in.
“Sometimes if you own your own home or you have a mortgage that is available for the home then you’re more apt to take a bit more interest in things.”
The Queens Care Society is a small group of 15 people operating out of the Queens County Home Support board room.
Covering all of Queens County, the members are supported by the senior safety officer and affiliations with other community organizations dealing with seniors care.
MacLeod says as a group they work to identify issues, find solutions, and get them up and running before leaving them to run independently.
She says Queens County Transit was an idea that came out of the society and now operates on its own.
MacLeod says the group will tackle the housing issue in the same way.
After hiring their project coordinator, MacLeod says their next steps will be to form a new non-profit housing side to their society.
They’re looking for board members with financial experience, landlords and developers who can find ways to build more seniors housing.
MacLeod says the group will also ask the municipal and provincial governments to make land available for an affordable housing build.
She says her group is drawing on all their collective skills and experience to make affordable seniors housing a reality in Queens.
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