Lions Club launches $1.5M fundraising drive for $28M senior housing project

The Fort Erie Lions Club had a vision seven years ago to construct a new apartment complex adjacent to the 56-unit building they have owned and operated since 1991.

At an event Tuesday afternoon inside the club’s seniors centre, also on the same lands, a community fundraising campaign was announced to support the project, which is led by Lions Douglas Heights Seniors Residence Inc., an extension of the service club responsible for the property.

The build’s entire estimated cost is about $28 million, and close to $19 million will hopefully come in the form of grants and financing, it was explained to Fort Erie Radio in an interview Tuesday.

But in order to be eligible for federal funding, at least $1.5 million needs to be raised in the community, said Linda Scott, chair of the Lions residence board.

“This is our first public announcement of it,” she told Fort Erie Radio before she and other players in the project delivered remarks to about 100 people on Tuesday.

She is hopeful businesses and organizations will “step up” and help reach the goal.

“We’ll see how much we get off this initial amount and then make a decision about what fundraising we need to do,” Scott told Fort Erie Radio when asked about events and efforts that may take place to bring in dollars.

It is estimated that 45 per cent of Fort Erie’s population is aged 55 years and older, with this number expected to grow to 50 per cent by 2041, said Scott.

What is being proposed is nine storeys and 62 units, a project that has already received a number of approvals from the town and region, and has passed the site plan process.

The regional government has waived almost $700,000 in development fees, on top of the town excusing the project of more than $555,000 in development charges, as well as parkland fees of $124,000.

The town is also not billing the proponents $18,000 worth of planning fees.

A Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) seed funding grant of $83,000 has been received, as well as a $200,000 donation from the Branscombe Family Foundation.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is committed to $90,000.

But “the province has to come to the table,” said MPP Wayne Gates, who said this project is a step in the right direction in Ontario’s affordable housing crisis, especially for those who are older.

“In one of the richest provinces in the country, we have seniors that are waiting eight, nine, 10 years for affordable housing,” said Gates on Tuesday, adding that the project will be built by Rankin Construction, one of Niagara’s most respected builders.

Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop said he’d “like the province involved in some meaningful fashion” as well.

The project addresses the town’s priorities when it comes to housing, such as increasing rental availability, along with affordable housing, and housing for seniors.

The proposed development “covers all three of those nicely,” said Redekop.

“This is the most anticipated housing project in the Town of Fort Erie, and has been since it was first presented in 2017,” said the mayor.

Gord Szaszi, project manager at Niagara Region Housing, said the development is ready to take its next big steps.

“We believe this project is essentially shovel-ready right now,” he said on Tuesday, adding the proposal respects the existing structures on the site, as well as neighbouring properties.

All units and common areas will be designed for barrier-free living so tenants can age in place, with 20 per cent of the units designated as fully accessible.

To ensure affordability to low-income seniors, up to 50 per cent of the units in the building will have rents set at 70 per cent of CMHC market rent, and the remaining units will be subsidized through the Niagara Region or be set at affordable levels.

Donations can be mailed to Our Town/Our Home c/o Lions Douglas Heights Seniors Residence, 255 High St., Fort Erie, ON L2A 3R4.

Funds can also be e-transferred to ourtownourhomedonate@gmail.com.

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