Minister Wants the Black Community to Know About Affordable Housing Initiatives

 By Neil Armstrong

Ahmed Hussen, Canada's minister of housing, diversity and inclusion, speaking at Blackhurst Cultural Centre - The People's Residence in Toronto

 

Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s minister of housing, diversity and inclusion, says since he made an announcement at the site of the Mirvish Village in 2019 there have been subsequent increases in the budget for affordable housing which includes bringing a Black Canadian lens to what is done through the National Housing Strategy.

 

He was speaking at a press conference at Blackhurst Cultural Centre – The People’s Residence in Toronto where the Centre, in partnership with WoodGreen Community Housing, the housing agency of WoodGreen Community Services, Westbank Corp. and the City of Toronto, announced an initiative that enables affordable housing for Black cultural creators in the new Mirvish Village.

 

“I hope this is a signal that our government is making sure that the National Housing Strategy works for everyone and that means making sure there are affordable housing options and opportunities to leverage federal dollars to work with organizations like WoodGreen, the City of Toronto, Westbank and our community members. And that those opportunities are not only considered but also prioritised.”

 

The minister mentioned programs that came about because of COVID, such as the Rapid Housing Initiative, to which they have applied a Black Canadian lens to make sure that they reflect both in the proponents and in the people moving into those units that they represent the diversity of Canada “but particularly addressing the disproportionately higher core housing need present in Indigenous and Black Canadian folk throughout our country.” 

 

In February this year, on the first day of Black History Month, Hussen announced $50 M to help create housing for Black Canadian communities. The funding is available from 2022 to 2028.

 

He says that money is available to the community and he keeps repeating that because “we need to use it. In addition to that, there are many other programs that can encourage and enhance the ability of communities to really do what they do best.”

 

Hussen also mentioned the game-changing Canadian Housing Benefit which provides direct rental supplements to people who need it. He noted that it is now live in all ten provinces and three territories. 

 

“Unfortunately, not everyone knows about it so again we’re doing amazing things in response to the calls to action by the community. But when those things actually happen it doesn’t come back to the community so I use these opportunities and others, in media interviews to really spread the awareness about programs like the Canada Housing Benefit, and the Rapid Housing Initiative.”

 

 The project stream of the Rapid Housing Initiative is $1B to 100% fund housing through a federal grant that is opening up on December 12.

 

Interested parties will have 90 days to apply.  Minister Hussen said there are only two conditions to that funding and it is the only program in the National Housing Strategy where the federal government will fund the entire project as a grant, not as a loan. 

 

The two conditions to access that fund for a non-profit are: “you have to either renovate or build in 12 months which means buying up a hotel or putting modular housing or building from scratch if you can finish in 12 months. And we mean 12 months for people to actually move in. And the second condition is you have to target one or more vulnerable populations and, of course, Black Canadians are listed as part of those priority groups.”

 

The online portal will open on December 12, 2022 and it will close on March 12, 2023.

 

The minister referenced the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, which was used to build the project in Mirvish Village, and the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund that encourages ideas and prototypes. 

 

“The government has funded apps, prototypes of different forms of building affordable housing and any ideas that lead to more access to affordable housing for any population is theoretically possible and can receive funding,” he said, noting that the budget for the National Housing Strategy is now over $86B.

A group photo of those who attended the press conference at Blackhurst Cultural Centre on November 22 about affordable housing for Black cultural creators in Mirvish Village

 

Tyson Parker, vice president, experiential development at Westbank, said the company made the commitment seven years ago to continue the amazing heritage that the Mirvish family had created — a place of inclusion, a place of tolerance — at the street corner of Bathurst and Bloor.

 

“Mirvish will hopefully open very, very, soon; I’m going to say maybe the second quarter of 2023.”

 

Itah Sadu, managing director of BCC, said as an organization when they looked at community building and capacity building it was important that as they move forward they bring others along with them because that is the whole point of human existence. 

 

“When the new block is open, you will hear accents across the block that will reflect the experience of people of African descent, people of the Black experience, people of the Caribbean ancestry right across the block,” said Sadu who is excited about the Centre moving to 756 Bathurst Street in the new development. 

 

She said one day Ian Gillespie, the head of Westbank, came to visit the cultural centre and as he was reimaging the block, “it entered into our conversation that we could even be bolder in our efforts as we move people forward. Oftentimes, we have heard so many conversations about the lack of space, the lack of affordable space, the lack of space for artists to create, people are moving to Hamilton just to get space to create, but we say, hey, you can create here, even in the city of Toronto.” They thought about opportunity and started a conversation with Westbank. 

 

Sadu said they reached out to WoodGreen because they had the expertise and the capacity to elevate the Centre’s idea and vision.

 

Mwarigha, vice president, homelessness services, enterprise asset sustainability and development, at Woodgreen says 12 units is a beginning but the vision is at least 50 because that is the kind of scale that begins to make a lot of sense. 

 

Over the past year, the cultural centre, Woodgreen Community Housing and Westbank have been working on the plan that will provide 12 units — one-bed, two-bedroom, and studio — at 80 per cent average market rate dedicated for Black cultural creators.

 

 "As we move forward to our permanent home in the new Mirvish Village, we have sought ways to bring others along with us on this journey as we build community and capacity. This is a proud moment for Blackhurst Cultural Centre and we thank WoodGreen Community Housing and its team for their due diligence and expertise. Westbank can also be commended for embracing the vision,” said Judith Brooks Chair of the BCC.

 

The mission of the cultural centre is to create a world-class model for preserving and building on the historic cultural identity of evolving neighbourhoods and to provide opportunities for Canadians and visitors to Canada to celebrate and engage in the rich cultural legacy and history of Canadians of African and Caribbean ancestry. 

 

Kevin Ormsby, founder and artistic director of KasheDance, is excited by the news and thinks it is timely and should have happened before because Black people have contributed to that Bathurst community for a very long time.  

 

“And so it’s really important to also provide visibility of Black people in that particular space again as The Annex neighbourhood also has been priced out of Black bodies and Black populations economically. 

 

Regarding artists, the Arts strategist thinks it is important that the initiative is providing access to affordable housing for Black creatives because they have been at the bottom of the remuneration scale for creatives in the city and across the province and country.

 

“So to provide some focus to that is actually really important and it’s good to see that there are more efforts being placed on Black people and the precarity in which Black people live, not just financially but now also artistically. The 12 units is a space where hopefully we can begin to provide some sustainability for Black people and, in particular, Black creatives.”

Zanana Akande, a former minister of community and social services of Ontario,  speaking at the press conference about affordable housing for Black cultural creators in Mirvish Village

 

WoodGreen Community Housing (WCH), as the housing agency of WoodGreen Community Services, has over 50 years of social housing ownership and management experience.  In 2010, it was awarded the City of Toronto’s Affordable Housing Champion Award for its integrated, transitional and supportive housing, as well as affordable rental housing for low-income people. The organization has a long commitment to anti-Black racism and inclusion in its overall service delivery mandate and practice.