Dec 7th, 2018

News Release: Ashgrove Community Expansion is Ready to Welcome Tenants

OTTAWA, December 7, 2018 – Ottawa Community Housing CEO Stéphane Giguère cut the ribbon on the expansion of the Ashgrove community in Ottawa south. Giguère was joined by Member of Provincial Parliament, and interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party John Fraser, along with area residents and other dignitaries.

The celebrations took place at the Ottawa Community Housing development on Uplands Drive where there are 114 affordable homes already occupied. The 16 new homes expansion are a mix of seven townhomes – some of which are four and five bedrooms to accommodate larger families – as well as three triplexes. Four are barrier-free, providing much-needed accommodation for residents who have mobility concerns. In total, these 16 new homes have 56 bedrooms between them. The new homes are located in an engaging and welcoming community where new tenants will have access to various centres and services to improve their quality of life. These considerations were made to nurture healthy, safe and inclusive communities and deliver quality services to every tenant and every home.

This expansion was made possible thanks to $2.4 million in funding from the Investment in Affordable Housing program and to a $2.6 million investment from OCHC.

The new homes will be energy efficient, sustainable, and in line with OCHC’s Eco2 Plan. It was achieved by planning a sustainable build that looks to preserve the planet for future generations and by practicing waste diversion during construction. Materials like concrete floors and galvanized steel will prevent future waste generation. Radiant floor heating was installed in every home, as well as low water consumption features, and other energy efficient building components – such as in-suite light-emitting diode technology, which provides enhanced efficiency and a substantial reduction in electrical energy consumption.

Accessibility features include wider doors to accommodate wheelchairs, wall reinforcement to allow for the installation of grab bars, and material selections made to assist residents with visual impairments. The townhomes will be welcoming tenants as early as December 15, 2018, and the triplexes are expected to be completed and available for rent in late March 2019.

*ERRATUM*: Please note that an earlier version of this release incorrectly stated that there would be 65 bedrooms in this expansion. The correct number is 56.

QUOTES

“Ottawa Community Housing Corporation is continuing to innovate to meet the housing needs of our city. The Ashgrove expansion is an excellent example of that innovation. This smart growth project used land that OCHC already owned while carrying out a sustainable and energy efficient build.” – Stéphane Giguère, CEO of OCHC

“The Ashgrove expansion project demonstrates our Government’s commitment to supporting projects that provide quality, safe, and affordable homes to those in need. We will continue to invest in communities with our National Housing Strategy.” -Hon. David McGuinty, MP for Ottawa South

“The addition of four new barrier-free homes in the Ashgrove community will meet an important need in our community to offer more safe, accessible, and affordable homes.”– John Fraser, MPP for Ottawa South

“The City of Ottawa is committed to providing access to safe and affordable housing to all its residents. The new units in the Ashgrove Community will help vulnerable residents in Ottawa’s South end find a stable place they can call home. By working collaboratively with the provincial and federal governments and with our service providers, Ottawa is increasing its affordable and supportive housing stock while investing in environmentally friendly, energy efficient and sustainable units.” – Jim Watson, Mayor, City of Ottawa

“With this project, OCHC has reaffirmed its commitment to more energy efficient and sustainable communities. Features like in-floor radiant heating and in-suite LED technology will provide comfort to tenants and reduce our energy consumption.” – Councillor Mathieu Fleury, Chair of OCHC Board of Directors

“I am pleased to see that these new homes are ready to welcome families into the Hunt Club community. With 16 new residences, Ottawa Community Housing is contributing to the pressing need to offer more affordable homes to young families.” – Councillor Riley Brockington, River Ward

Additional highlights of the new homes:

• 16 new homes will be built including seven two-storey townhomes and three triplexes
• Each triplex will feature a barrier-free home on the ground floor; one of the townhomes will be barrier free
• Site is located in the Hunt Club/Airport area of Ottawa
• Building materials will be used to boost durability and decrease overall maintenance costs
• Recycled and regionally manufactured materials will be used, where possible
• Drought tolerant planting to reduce water use
• Accessibility features including: wider doors (965mm) to accommodate wheel chairs; wall reinforcement to allow for future installation of grab bars; and, colour and material selections made to accommodate residents with visual impairments
• Radiant floor heating will be provided in every home
• There are more than 410 residents currently living in the Ashgrove Community and nearly half of them are children and youth
• Landscape design includes outdoor communal spaces and gardens

ABOUT OCHC

Ottawa Community Housing provides approximately 15,000 homes to over 32,000 tenants, including seniors, parents, children, couples, singles and persons with special needs, within many communities across the City of Ottawa. OCH houses a diverse population of varying languages, ethnicity and cultures. OCH is the largest social housing provider in Ottawa, managing two-thirds of the City’s social housing portfolio, and is the second largest in Ontario.

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CONTACT (Media only)

Nathaniel Mullin

Communications Media Specialist
343-997-5700
media@och.ca