THUNDER BAY — A significant housing project on Junot Avenue has moved past the shovel-ready stage and into the initial construction phase.
The contractor is on site and an excavator has removed soil for the foundation of the 58-unit Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services project at 125 Junot Ave. S., beside the Boys and Girls Club.
When completed in about 16 months, the three-storey transitional housing facility will have 58 units in a mix of pod-style and independent living quarters.
The project was initially proposed six years ago but was held up, partly because all the funding was not in place.
A major hurdle was cleared last August when the Ontario government announced a contribution of $8.7 million toward construction costs.
The facility will accommodate people aged 18 to 29 and will have youth workers and full-time case managers on site.
OAHS says it will host various programs for the residents, including employment training and education assistance, in a setting that provides a sense of community and cultural connection.
Services and programming will be provided by the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre and the Métis Nation of Ontario.
Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services is also developing a 70-unit housing project at 1040 Huron Ave., adjacent to Vance Chapman Public School.
Work on the first 24-unit phase of the planned 70-unit project continues, and is expected to be completed in about 16 months.
Stage one includes two 12-unit buildings, each comprising three storeys.
All the units will be made available as affordable housing, and 20 per cent of them will be fully accessible.
The Ontario and federal governments announced funding for the project last August.
Cathy Connor, senior director of housing development for OAHS, said in a recent email to Dougall Media that the organization "is happy to bring safe affordable housing to the community of Thunder Bay."
