WoodGreen Community Services will be the owner and property manager of an upcoming permanent affordable and supportive housing facility for seniors at 60 Bowden St. We have contracted R-Hauz to develop this best-of-class and environmentally-friendly rapid-build affordable housing project.

 

The building currently at 60 Bowden St. is a church that was built in 1931. To preserve the heritage elements of the property, the new development will keep the two towers as well as the full face of the church front on Danforth Avenue. WoodGreen is working closely with Danforth Church to support the congregation’s use of the redeveloped space and play a role in service to the community.

 

WoodGreen is an experienced seniors housing provider.

 

WoodGreen is a seniors’ care specialist with more than 55 years of experience in affordable housing and creating successful tenancies. One thing that sets us apart is our wide range of connected services for seniors such as housing, community health services including Meals on Wheels, social programs, and more. Our staff look forward to welcoming tenants upon completion of the project and building a stronger community.

 

WoodGreen is one of the most experienced supportive housing providers in Toronto. We own or operate 20 housing facilities in Toronto. We know the importance of connecting with our neighbours wherever we go. We are excited to bring our full range of services, expertise, and the benefit of our close partnerships and deep connections across Toronto to support the health, housing stability and inclusion of the seniors who will reside at 60 Bowden St.

 

We invite you to sign up to receive project updates by completing our Community Updates Form.

 

 

For additional information, please read the Frequently Asked Questions below. You can also use our dedicated email address to send any queries: [email protected].

 

 

Information Session

 

On Wednesday, July 6, WoodGreen Community Services held an information session about the new homes for vulnerable seniors coming to 60 Bowden Street. WoodGreen was pleased to have received a high volume of registrants that submitted many questions and comments in advance. The information requests received from the community in advance helped shape the presentations that were made at the information session and were raised to the panelists for answers. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from representatives at WoodGreen Community Services, the City of Toronto, R-Hauz (Developer) and McCallum Sather (Architecture). Special thanks to MP Julie Dabrusin for attending the session and voicing her support. Julie’s advocacy for more affordable housing and continuous support of this new development is greatly appreciated.

 

We want to express our sincerest thank you to everyone that registered, sent in questions/comments and/or attended the webinar. We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to donors & government partners who have helped make this development possible, including Councillor Paula Fletcher for her continuous support and tireless efforts.

The information session was recorded and can be viewed here.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How can I submit a letter of support for this project to the Committee of Adjustment?

    Thank you very much to everyone that took the time to write letters of support to the Committee of Adjustment (CoA). The CoA hearing was held on July 12 and the project was approved.

     

    WoodGreen’s community engagement team will be in touch as we near demolition and further updates become available.

  • Where can I find more information about the virtual information session on July 6?

    Thank you to everyone that submitted questions and/or comments for the information session we held on July 6. The webinar was recorded and is available here.

  • What type of housing is 60 Bowden Street planned to be?

    The new development at 60 Bowden Street will be an eight-storey building that will include:

     

    • 50 units including two clusters of nine units that will provide meal services and 24/7 staff supports to residents who may require assistance with daily activities. The remaining units will be a combination of studio and one bedroom apartments.
    • Common spaces will include a commercial kitchen and a large gathering space that can be used for community dining, laundry room, and a lounge
    • A landscaped courtyard
    • Sanctuary, office, and amenity space
    • Bike storage

  • Who will live at 60 Bowden Street?

    WoodGreen is bringing its 55+ years of experience in providing affordable housing to 60 Bowden St. The new heritage adapted building proposed for 60 Bowden St will provide housing to single seniors (59+).

     

    The future residents of 60 Bowden St. will include individuals, men and women, who qualify for affordable and permanent independent living. To enhance the quality of life of all residents, WoodGreen is committed to implementing a robust support system based on the needs of the tenants who will call 60 Bowden St their permanent home.

     

    WoodGreen will soon engage City of Toronto staff to develop and finalize an access plan that will determine the selection criteria of the residents that will be housed in the building sometime closer to the end of construction. We will share more information as it becomes available closer to the time of project completion.

  • Why is this housing needed?

    The City of Toronto is experiencing a housing crisis. Seniors can face additional challenges because of aging. Demand for social housing remains high among seniors as approximately one-third of applicants on the City’s social housing waitlist are seniors, with a wait time of 10 years or more. With these sobering statistics in mind, affordable housing facilities like 60 Bowden St. will provide essential and affordable housing to seniors.

     

    Making permanent, affordable rental housing available with built-in support services helps relieve pressure on the shelter system, emergency departments, and long-term care.

  • What type of construction is 60 Bowden Street?

    WoodGreen has contracted R-Hauz as the builder, manufacturer and developer for the 60 Bowden St. project. The development concept for the building includes installation of mass timber over the retained church basement in the northern half of the facility.

    Mass timber is wood-based pre-fabricated building material suitable for larger scale infrastructure projects (such as buildings). For more information about mass timber features, R-Hauz has published a blog that you can read here.

     

    In short, benefits of using mass timber include:

    • Environmentally-friendly
    • Energy-efficient
    • Accelerated construction timelines

  • What types of supports will be available to residents?

    WoodGreen will bring a holistic, integrated care and service model to the residents at 60 Bowden St.

     

    Senior residents will have access to WoodGreen’s full range of wrap-around health and social supports from personal support workers (PSWs), social workers, recreational programs specialists, transportation services, and volunteers to keep them safe and living with dignity at home, prevent or delay admission to long-term care facilities, and reduce emergency visits and hospital admissions.

     

    For more information about supports available for seniors at WoodGreen, please visit our site.

  • What is the expected timeline for the project development and completion?

    The construction is expected to begin in 2023. This webpage will be updated as new information about the different phases of the construction becomes available. We invite you to sign up for project updates by completing our Community Updates Form.

     

    Public engagement will continue through the duration of the project. Upcoming events and milestones will be communicated on this dedicated webpage and email database generated via the interest form.

  • How do you approach neighbourhood safety?

    We do not anticipate any increased public safety issues in the neighbourhood as a result of tenancy at this building. We will coordinate with Toronto Police Services 55 Division to make sure we are sharing information regularly, planning together, and responding to any needs or concerns that may arise in the community.

     

    WoodGreen is committed to ensuring community concerns are addressed. An open line of communication is critical. Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions or wish to receive information about 60 Bowden St. in the future. You can also contact 311 for general concerns.

  • Who is funding the project?

    Capital funding has been approved under the Rapid Housing Initiative, Phase 2. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, in collaboration with the City of Toronto have provided the funds and incentive waivers to make this project possible, along with generous support from The Sprott Foundation with a donation of $4 million, through WoodGreen’s UNMET needs campaign, to support this new development.

  • How can I register for affordable housing at 60 Bowden Street?

    Thank you for your interest in our Bowden St. Project! As our project is still new and in development, we do not have any information about the waiting list or registration process for these units at this time. As more information becomes available, we will be sure to update members of our community.

     

    We appreciate your interest on this project, and look forward to sharing information with you, as it becomes available. For any additional questions regarding affordable housing, please contact our Housing Access Centre: [email protected]

  • How do I contact WoodGreen if I have questions?

    WoodGreen has a dedicated email address for neighbours and community members to send in their questions: [email protected]. The Community Engagement team will aim to respond to emails within two business days.

  • How can I get involved with WoodGreen?

    There are several programs at WoodGreen where you can volunteer. Learn more about our programs online or send us an email at [email protected].