Muskoka Housing Task Force

Recruitment is currently underway for community representatives to join the Muskoka Housing Task Force (MHTF). We are looking for members who have a demonstrated commitment to affordable housing in Muskoka.

MHTF 2.0 members will need to have the ability to dedicate a significant amount of time to implementing the creative ideas and to build on the work done by their predecessors, with a focus on taking action to move the projects into the next phase. While there are a limited number of seats on the MHTF 2.0 for community members, there will be many exciting opportunities for passionate community members and advocates to engage in other capacities.

If you are interested in joining the MHTF 2.0, please apply by Friday, June 30, 2023 at the following link:

APPLY NOW

Generally, when we refer to affordable housing, we are referring to housing that costs less than 30% of a household’s income before tax.

For example, if a household earns $60,000 a year before tax, that household should spend less than $18,000 a year (or $1,500 a month) on total housing costs for the housing to be considered affordable.

Affordability is only one piece of the puzzle, and that is why the Muskoka Housing Task Force is focused on attainable housing opportunities.

Attainable housing refers to housing that is Adequate in condition (no major repairs needed) Appropriate in size (bedrooms appropriate for household) Affordable (costing less than 30% of before-tax income) Accessible to Services (located in areas where common services are available) and Available (a range of housing types).

The more pieces missing, the more unstable housing becomes.

The District Municipality of Muskoka has launched a new Attainable Head Lease Program to help residents access attainable housing in Muskoka.

Through the program, the District will work with private rental property owners and builders to secure residential units in the private market. The District can then make these units available at affordable rental rates consistent with current Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation market rates and provide ongoing support to landlords and tenants to achieve successful tenancies.

If you are interested in this partnership opportunity, and the potential to achieve reliable long term rental income, please consider submitting a brief proposal. Funding is available for more than one partnership. RFP closes on Friday, September 10, 2021.

Read the full release here: https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/news/district-seeks-commercial-partner-for-attainable-housing-head-lease-program.aspx

Key Concept: The “Housing Continuum”

The housing continuum shows a range of options for housing based on the needs and incomes of residents in a community.

At one end of the housing continuum are people living in crisis who may be homeless or utilizing shelters. At the other end, there are independent renters or homeowners. In between these two ends are people who are paying their own rent but with a form of assistance or subsidy provided by a governing body or charitable organization.

People may stay where they are, or they may also move through the housing continuum. When they move, space opens in their previous position for others to move into (like a ripple effect!)

Examples of the current housing developments in Muskoka:

Home for Good (HFG) – HFG is a form of Transitional Housing (see the orange bar on the continuum graphic) located at 49 Pine St. Bracebridge. This new build will house 12 young adults in Muskoka who may currently be utilizing emergency shelters or who are homeless. The new build will also provide 5 single affordable rental units (see dark blue bar on the continuum graphic) for people in our community. Increasing the supply of transitional housing, can open up space in emergency shelters and move individuals out of homelessness. Transitional housing programs provide access to supports and services to help individuals move towards stable housing solutions.

Alexander Muskoka Property – A form of Subsidized Market Rent (see the dark blue bar on the continuum graphic) located on 520 Isaac Street Gravenhurst. This new build will bring 100+ retirement suites to seniors in Muskoka. The District worked with the builder and committed funding for 12 of the units to be set at affordable rental rates. When we increase the supply of subsidized market rents, we lessen the strain put on existing social or community housing (which has a very long waitlist). In addition, by setting units at affordable rates, we create more attainable housing in our community.

There is a housing crisis in Muskoka, and great things are happening in our communities and by the Muskoka Housing Task Force to help address it.

The Task Force has been coming together for just over two years to network, create partnerships, and discuss how to increase access to housing in Muskoka.

We’ve learned about existing and alternative housing models, discussed development processes, examined funding models, and identified key concepts to understanding housing in our communities.

Over the coming weeks, you will see more information and updates from the Task Force on the District’s social media platforms and shared by Task Force members.

Watch for posts on the District's social media channels tagged “Muskoka Housing Task Force 101” “Muskoka Housing Task Force – Did You Know?” and “Muskoka Housing Task Force – Make the Connection”. These posts will help you better understand housing needs in our communities, what is happening in Muskoka to support increased access to housing, and what you can do to help.

Stay Informed!

From this page, you can subscribe to receive Task Force updates and information right to your inbox! Just look for the big megaphone on the upper right-hand corner of your desktop monitor, or scroll down on a mobile device and enter your email address to subscribe.

Thank you for following along and connecting with us as we navigate opportunities to help increase housing for everyone.

The RentSmart Certificate Course is being offered in partnership with the Muskoka Housing Task Force and Employment North. Through participating in the RentSmart Certificate Course, you will learn about:

• Finding suitable housing;
• Tenant rights and responsibilities;
• Landlord responsibilities and expectations;
• Maintenance do's and don'ts;
• Communicating effectively with landlords, roommates, and
  neighbours; and
• Budgeting and planning for affordable housing.

At the completion of the course, you will receive a RentSmart Certificate which lets landlords know you are serious about being a responsible tenant.

To obtain your certificate, you must attend the full course which is 6 sessions, 2 hours per session.

The course runs from 10am-12pm on Tuesdays starting May 11 via the zoom platform. Course dates as follows: May 11, 18 & 25. June 1, 8 & 15.

Course facilitators are Jennifer Tournour, Employment North and Mike Romaine, District of Muskoka.

To register for the RentSmart Certificate Course please email Jennifer Tournour at jennifert@employmentnorth.com. The course is limited to 12 participants.

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, has launched the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). The RHI is a $1 billion program to help address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing.

The District would like to submit an eligible RHI project proposal to CMHC and is interested in partnering with an applicant who meets one or more of the following criteria:

• is a modular builder that can meet a rapid production timeline; or
• owns land on municipal services that is (currently) zoned multi-residential and may be interested in selling the property; or
• owns and may be interested in selling a building or structure that can be converted to a multi-residential project (i.e. commercial conversion to residential or uninhabitable residential property brought to property standards); or
• owns a motel or hotel and may be interested in selling the property; or
• has a shovel ready, multi-residential, modular development planned or in progress and may be interested in selling.

If you meet any of the above criteria and would like to seek a potential partnership opportunity with the District, our team would like to connect with you! Please send us an email briefly outlining your interest and qualifications by 4:00 pm on Friday, December 4^th, 2020.

Email Contact: Danielle Morgan, Manager, Housing Development
danielle.morgan@muskoka.on.ca

For further details and program requirements regarding the RHI please visit the District’s website at: www.muskoka.on.ca/affordablehousing