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Clarington setting aside $400 per unit for affordable housing

Mayor Foster

Clarington has created an affordable housing fund which is being supported, in part, by a fixed amount from every unit that is being built in the municipality.

“More recently, for units that are being built in Clarington, there is $400 per unit which is going to an affordable housing fund,” Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster told Durham Post in an exclusive interview.

“We don’t know [yet] how we’re going to use that. This is just starting,” he said.

Mayor Foster pointed out that affordable housing is a huge issue. “Monetary policy will go so far. But there are people who need a front and a back yard. A condo is not the answer. High density is not the answer. We need to bring more product online if we’re going to solve this issue. It’s a fundamental right to have a place to live. And, you can’t afford to buy, and you can’t afford to rent in one of the world’s wealthiest societies?”

He said Clarington has been focusing on the issue of housing accessibility for years.

Spry Avenue Sale

“We had the Lt. Governor come to Clarington several years ago. Even then, we were looking at affordability. The discussion and dialogue were around that. We set up an Affordability Housing Task Force. We created a tool kit which was then leading edge in Durham Region,” Mayor Foster pointed out.

He said the municipality has supported a project on Bowmanville Avenue built a couple of years ago, and seniors housing in Newcastle. “More recently we’ve had surplus property on Spry Avenue [in Bowmanville]. It’s a pending sale to a partnership between Durham Region Not for Profit Housing and Habitat for Humanity. We sold that below market for affordable housing.
We need to do some work yet on that. In Clarington we’re stepping up”.

Mayor Foster hoped the money from the sale of the property can be kept in the pot for affordable housing.

“We will see how we can replicate that model,” he added.

Tomorrow: Read about Clarington’s version of Central Park

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