WoodGreen brings 50 years of housing management experience to these properties that were previously managed by Toronto Artscape Inc.
TORONTO, ONT. – WoodGreen Community Services, one of the largest non-municipal affordable housing providers in Toronto, is the new manager of five properties providing permanent affordable rental units and commercial spaces for the artist community across Toronto. The properties were previously managed by the non-profit organization, Toronto Artscape Inc.
“Arts and culture are essential to our city and our local economy,” says Anne Babcock, President & CEO of WoodGreen Community Services. “WoodGreen is proud to manage these five properties that give artists an affordable home and allow them to continue to share their creativity and passions with the wider communities in which they live.”
The properties are as follows:
- Artscape West Queen West – 900 Queen St. West – affordable housing and commercial
- Artscape Wychwood Barns – 5-57 Benson Avenue – affordable housing
- Artscape Bayside Lofts - 30 Merchants’ Wharf – affordable housing
- Artscape Weston Common – 31 John St. – affordable housing
- Parkdale Arts & Cultural Centre – 1313 Queen St. West – affordable housing and commercial
WoodGreen Community Services has been appointed to manage these properties by Artscape Non-Profit Homes Inc. (ANPHI), which operates affordable housing and commercial space at Artscape West Queen West and affordable housing at Artscape Wychwood Barns, and ANPHI Affordable Homes Inc., a new non-profit housing provider and sister organization to ANPHI, which expects to assume Toronto Artscape Inc.’s affordable housing operations at Artscape Weston Common and Artscape Bayside Lofts, and affordable housing and commercial operations at Parkdale Arts & Cultural Centre.
“We look forward to continuing Artscape’s important mission of providing affordable homes to Toronto’s arts community,” says Warren Cass, Chair of ANPHI and ANPHI Affordable Homes Inc. “We wish to reassure the artist-led families that reside in these spaces that their tenancies will not be interrupted by these changes, and that we, WoodGreen, and Artscape are working hard to ensure a smooth transition. We are confident that tenants will benefit from WoodGreen’s high-quality, experienced property management.”
The tenants at all five properties will continue with their current rental agreements. WoodGreen is committed to transparency with tenants and the wider community during this changeover of management and will share information on its website and social media, and through flyers and direct outreach.
WoodGreen has over 85 years of experience serving residents of Toronto and has provided transitional and permanent housing for over 50 years. It currently owns and/or manages more than 28 affordable housing sites in the city. Even more, it offers a wide range of integrated programs and services to help its tenants to thrive. Some of these include mental health services, employment programs, affordable child care, financial counselling, and more. Also, specifically for senior tenants, it offers community care services, Meals on Wheels, recreational programs and more to help them continue to live healthily and independently at home.
ABOUT WOODGREEN COMMUNITY SERVICES (woodgreen.org): WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto, serving 37,000 people each year. We offer over 75 programs and services tackling the social determinants that affect the health and well-being of individuals in our community.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Tureisha Hamlet, Manager, Public Relations & Corporate Communications, [email protected], tel: (416) 277-2672