The District Municipality of Muskoka says it is done waiting around for housing to become more attainable. The municipality is debating leaning into the private sector to build affordable housing for residents and is looking for feedback. “We have over 700 households, individuals, couples, families who are waiting for subsidized housing,” Jeff Lehman, district chair, tells CTV News. “Unfortunately, that number has only gone up with the affordability crisis in Canada and in Muskoka and we know we need to build housing faster, subsidized housing to give these folks a place to live,” he says. The plan, for now, is to create a factory. “A new automated production facility, a factory in Muskoka that would build components for subsidized housing,” Lehman says, adding “this would be a partnership with a private company to operate a factory here that would produce walls, floors and ceilings.” The municipality also wants to create a corporation that would be in charge of the factory and housing throughout the region. “We have talked to builders across Muskoka, they have concerns and good questions,” says Norah Fountain, executive director of Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce. “They all agree, they need affordable and attainable housing for their staff as well and here we are doing something,” she says. Fountain adds that trades workers still need the work and the cost of the project needs to be clear. “We don’t want to see something balloon out of the cost of $17 million, then it cost three times as much, that’s going to affect our businesses negatively as well,” she says. The municipality says if the program is approved, it could speed up the building process by almost six months. While the site is being prepared by workers, the apartment is being built in the factory. “That process is, in some cases 60 per cent faster and we’ve seen examples of 60 unit, four story apartment buildings being assembled in two weeks on-site, having taken about a month in the factory,” Lehman says. The District of Muskoka will continue to receive public feedback until Aug. 7. A final decision is not expected until after the municipal election in October when a new council is selected.
