Efforts to create an affordable home ownership opportunity kicked off recently, with delegates gathering at 416 Melvin Ave. to mark the start of a Habitat for Humanity build.
The single-family home has been earmarked for a veteran family or individual, and its affordability was made possible in part by a unanimous city council vote to sell the surplus property to the not-for-profit organization for a nominal fee of $5.
The vacant property’s 2025 assessed value is $57,000 the total work estimate is $170,000 and the anticipated sale value of the house is anticipated to be approximately $350,000 once complete.
“This initiative was made possible through our Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan land banking strategy and demonstrates our commitment to creating inclusive, resilient neighbourhoods,” city Planning and Growth general manager Kris Longston said in a media release. “By working together with community partners, we’re helping ensure that more families have access to safe and affordable housing.”
In the media release, it’s noted that donations pledged at the Sudbury ReStore outlet at 2167 Armstrong St. or online by visiting habitatgatewaynorth.com/donate will help “offset market barriers and rising building costs.”
“It’s the first project we’ve undertaken in the region in far too long,” Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North CEO Kimberley Woodcock said in the media release. “This home represents for us the start of bigger affordable housing opportunities in the North.”
Local construction company Wilson Hope Group will lead the project design and delivery of the detached home, with contributions from Desjardins, 3rd Line Studio, Kusnierczyk Realty Group, modular home builder Mezza and Lacroix Lawyers.
It’s been more than a decade since Habitat for Humanity built a house in the Greater Sudbury area and Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateways North community partnerships director Michael Cullen described their work to Sudbury.com in June as an organization “reviving” themselves locally, “bringing it back to life.”
The Habitat for Humanity home ownership model allows residents to move into residential units with zero down payments, but they’re still required to pay for their home via affordable monthly payments. These payments snowball into creating future builds.