NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF WELLINGTON
**********************
ABOYNE – Social Services is pleased to announce that beginning in November, the Housing Services Division will be hosting a series of in-person Affordable Housing Development Workshops at Aboyne Hall, Wellington County Museum and Archives, 0536 Wellington Road 18, Fergus, Ont.
These Affordable Housing Development Workshops are designed for elected officials, housing provider staff, directors, and community agencies in the local housing and homelessness sectors. Tim Welch Consulting Inc. will facilitate this series which will provide a detailed approach to key topics in development of new affordable housing. These sessions are available at no cost.
"The need for affordable housing solutions has never been more critical," said County of Wellington Warden, Andy Lennox. "These workshops will equip our community leaders and housing providers with the knowledge and tools they need to bring affordable housing projects to life."
The series will include five different workshop topics as follows:
Day 1 - Nov. 4 - Full Day
Morning Session - 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Understanding and defining the proponent’s goals (including refining goals in context of potential sources of government funding), considering who you want to house, what do we mean by affordable, searching for land, pros, and cons of partnerships, assembling a development team, implications for existing social housing providers. This session will include information on co-op housing.
Light lunch will be provided from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Afternoon Session - 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Funding and financing - costs of building housing (hard and soft costs), sources of capital funding, various government programs, sources of operating funding, importance of budgets and cash flow, construction financing, mortgage financing, importance of quantity surveyors, impact of rising interest rates, alternative sources of financing.
Day 2 - Nov. 18 - Half Day from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Design and construction approaches – role of architect, selecting an architect, engineering sub-consultants, design-build, construction management or full tendering, relationship with contractor, thinking about size and types of units, community and common space, accessibility issues including CMHC requirements, cash flow during construction.
Networking with a light lunch and refreshments are provided from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Day 3 - Nov. 25 - Half Day from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Planning approvals including environmental issues, municipal approval process (with the need for many studies and reports), who moves the project through the municipal approvals process, dealing with NIMBYism, various environmental approvals processes.
Networking with a light lunch and refreshments are provided from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Day 4 - Dec. 2 - Half Day from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Rent up, approaches to property management, and long-term operations including understanding multi-residential operating budgets, coordinating with support service funding and levels/types of supports, accessing rent supplements or housing allowances, direct staff vs hiring a property management firm, lining up tenants during construction, capital reserves and planning for long term maintenance and operations, dealing with last minute building preparations before move-ins.
Light lunch and refreshments will be provided at 1 p.m.
“These workshops will allow our community to explore the complex process of affordable housing development in a structured and supportive environment,” said Paul Skinner, Interim Director of Housing Services, County of Wellington. “Our goal is to provide practical tools that will empower participants to make informed decisions and advance much-needed housing projects.”
Each session will include 90 minutes of presentation and discussion, a 15-minute break, followed by another 90 minutes of presentation/discussion and a wrap-up.
Please RSVP by Monday, Oct. 21, along with any dietary requirements, to Michele Shears, Housing Programme Advisor, [email protected] or phone 1.800.663.0750 x 4080. Michele can also assist you with any questions you may have.
**********************
