Friday, October 2, 2026
The Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) marked the groundbreaking of a new development, the organization’s first official housing initiative, bringing 150 sustainable and affordable homes.
The 7.5-acre lot on 40 Florence Street West, donated by the Town of Huntsville, will evolve in three phases using a modern method of construction with a mass timber floor and wall panel system. Phase One is a four-storey, 47-unit apartment building, including 30 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and 3 three-bedroom units. Eleven of the Phase One units are barrier-free.
The Florence Street development was established to demonstrate long-term housing affordability in a region experiencing significant pressures. Forty per cent of the homes across the development are permanently affordable because they are removed from the private real estate market, the land is held in trust by MCLT, and the homes are designated as non-market housing. By temporarily leveraging current real-estate market conditions, the MCLT can maximize the number of affordable homes to be built while remaining self-sustainable.
“This project reflects what is possible when communities, governments, and local partners come together to address local housing needs,” said Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families.
The District of Muskoka has provided $629,000 to date, with an additional $1,300,000 committed through the Muskoka Affordable Housing Initiatives Program (MAHIP). The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) has contributed more than $519,000, and Muskoka Futures is providing a conditional $300,000 loan. The project has also been conditionally approved for funding through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Construction Through Wood (GCWood) Program, with a specific funding commitment expected soon.
“Today is about more than breaking ground. It is about creating opportunity, stability, and hope. It is about ensuring that individuals and families have the opportunity to find a home and build a future right here in Huntsville,” said Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock.
Phase Two will add an adjacent four-storey, 60-unit mass-timber building, and the final phase will bring a three- to five-storey, 43-unit mass-timber building, completing the 150-home community.
Phase One construction begins this month with occupancy by December 2027.
“We’re building this development with the steadfast belief that the right approach doesn’t need a trade-off, and that growth and stewardship are not opposing forces,” said Patrick Chouinard, executive director at MCLT.
Featured image: (MCLT)
