Image: Huron County Courthouse
Huron County Council has awarded the tender for the Gibbons Street Apartment Build.
The contract has been given to Bronnenco Construction Limited for $13,170,796.
The housing project, which is being built for 211 Gibbons Street, will contain 39 units – 10 supported housing units that will have access to county services, while the remaining units will offer rent-geared-to-income.
The purpose of the apartment building is to fill the housing gap in the county by offering affordable units and to curb homelessness.
Councillor Paul Klopp raised the issue of what the total cost would be, as the full amount would need to be covered by either taking funding from county reserves, or by borrowing. He said that he did not want to make a decision that would hinder future councils by forcing them to have to make funding cuts in the future.
Past Warden Jim Ginn said that the county should do everything it can to secure housing funding from the provincial or federal governments to cover the remainder of the cost, but that it was also too important to delay the project.
Ginn says that the issue of homelessness and getting people into safe housing is a priority, but funding from higher levels of government is a necessity.
Warden Glen McNeil declared to council that he and county staff would continue to advocate for provincial and federal funding for the development.