KDSB CAO Henry Wall - File Photo
Funding to support housing for seniors is coming to Kenora and Dryden.
The federal government and the Federation of Canada Municipalities are providing $9.4 million to the Kenora District Service Board, to build more senior housing in Kenora and Dryden.
Kenora is getting 56 new housing units, while Dryden is getting 40.
“Up until now, without the support, seniors are deciding, do they need to relocate to other communities because we just don’t have enough homes for our seniors and elders, and it’s something as communities across Canada, we can do better,” said KDSB Chief Administrative Officer, Henry Wall. “No senior in our communities that lived and worked all their life in their community should have to choose whether they can stay or should they go elsewhere, and that’s what these projects will do is eliminate that choice for many, many seniors and elders in our communities.
The building in Dryden is nearing completion with hopes of finishing it by mid-October.
In Kenora, the hope is to have the new build completed by December.
The new buildings also seek to address low-income housing.
“Each build will be a third, a third market, a third affordable, a third low-income,” added Wall. “And what we want to do is really create a sense of community, it shouldn’t matter, nobody should know what somebody’s income is when they’re in the build.”
$5,492,560 is going toward the Kenora build, with 3,000,295 coming in the form of a grant.
Dryden is receiving $4,000,000 with $2,403,000 coming as a grant.
Another focus of the builds was getting them as close to net zero as possible.
“The new building may achieve energy reduction by at least 72% and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 85 per cent,” said the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors, Terry Sheehan.
The funding for these projects came through the FCM Green Municipal Fund.
