Three-storey, 60-bed Indigenous housing unit to be built in North Bay

A $22.3 milliong, 60-unit Indigenous affordable housing project is coming to North Bay, backed by all three levels of government.

A new Indigenous affordable housing project valued at $22 million will be built in North Bay in less than two years.

The federal, provincial and municipal governments announced Friday afternoon that they are all contributing money towards the final cost of the build.

That includes $4.5 million from the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative.

“These are all passionate people that are working towards a common goal -- to build homes and strengthen our community,” said Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Pauline Rochefort.

A three-storey, 60-unit affordable housing unit will be built at a vacant lot at 1040 Brookes St., a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, along with a common area space for Indigenous tenants.

“We know it’s needed in this community,” said Graydon Smith, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

“All the more important to make sure that we have projects like this in urban areas.”

The total construction cost is pegged at $22.3 million. The units will be developed and operated by the Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, which owns the property.

Tenants will be coming from all walks of life.

“People that are currently housed, that are over housed and living on top of each other in overcrowded situations,” said Cathy Connor, the Senior Director of Housing Development for the Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services.

“They could be coming from people that are living in subpar conditions.”

The project has been in the works since 2017, when the Nipissing District Housing Corp. acquired the former Dr. MacDougall Public School on the property.

As a former school site with sufficient land and infrastructure, it was identified as a suitable location for affordable housing.

In its role as the District’s Early Years and Child Care Service System Manager, the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board’s children’s services department helped shape the project by supporting the integration of space for an Indigenous EarlyON Child and Family Centre and licensed childcare, reinforcing a holistic, community-focused approach that supports children and families beyond housing alone.

Following city approval of severance and rezoning, Nipissing District Housing Corp. retained an adjacent vacant parcel of land specifically to support housing development and later made that land available to Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services.

“The overall waitlist yesterday was at 2,541 people that are actually waiting for market and affordable rent,” said District of Nipissing Social Services Administration board chair Mark King.

The city’s share will be up to $500,000 through the Housing Accelerator Fund. It also plans to not impose development charges, offer a municipal tax rebate and a 100 per cent rebate on planning and building fees, to a maximum of $250,000.

Full backing of the city

“Housing is one of the most pressing challenges across Canada, including here in North Bay and it’s very important to see projects like this moving forward,” said Mayor Peter Chirico.

The latest Nipissing District-wide homeless count conducted last fall found that more than 450 people are experiencing homelessness. More than a third self-identified as Indigenous.

“They’re not considered on an equal playing field when they’re submitting applications for mainstream housing,” Connor said.

The percentage is higher (43 per cent) amongst unsheltered individuals.

“They have to have somewhere to go,” King said.

“This is just another part of the puzzle that we’ve been trying to put together.”

Tenants will be able to access health and childcare services at the adjacent North Bay Indigenous Hub.

“Which is one of the reasons why this location was chosen,” Connor said.

Construction is expected to start by early fall, with an opening date scheduled for February 2028.