[Guelph, Ontario – November 10, 2023]
Skyline Group of Companies is proud to have invested $1.5 million in a two-year Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington community bond, which will help Habitat for Humanity GW overcome one of its final hurdles in moving forward with the construction of Garafraxa Village, a 32-unit townhouse project at 465 Garafraxa Street West in Fergus, Ontario.
While our roots are in rental housing, we have always sought creative and innovative ways to make a positive impact. We recognize our responsibility to support and invest in the cities and towns in which we do business, and to help find solutions to problems like Canada’s housing crisis.
We will continue to use our resources, people, and influence to enact positive change.
For more information about Skyline’s sustainability objectives, including those related to affordable housing and housing insecurity, visit Skyline’s Sustainability page.
Read Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington’s press release about the groundbreaking below.
Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington breaks ground on 32-unit development in Fergus alongside community partners and housing leaders
After years of hard work and planning, Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington (Habitat GW) is excited to celebrate breaking ground on Garafraxa Village, a 32-unit townhouse development at 465 Garafraxa Street West in Fergus, Ontario.
Speakers and attendees at the November 10 groundbreaking ceremony included:
- Lloyd Longfield, MP Guelph, Ontario – On behalf of CMHC
- The Honourable Michael D. Chong, MP Wellington—Halton Hills, Ontario
- The Honourable Rob Flack, Associate Minister of Housing, MPP Elgin-Middlesex-London
- Township of Centre Wellington Deputy Mayor, Bronwynne Wilton
- R. Jason Ashdown, Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer, Skyline Group of Companies
- Tony Irwin, President, FRPO
- Murray Costello, Director, Southeast Region Operations at Enbridge Gas Inc.
- Austin Cardinell, Community Leader and Habitat Family Partner
- Ryan Deska, Director Community Engagement and Development, Habitat for Humanity GW
This event also saw attendance from a wide range of community leaders and organizations connected to housing and community building.
Garafraxa Village is a shining example of community organizations, businesses, and government aligning to achieve affordable housing solutions in the Township of Centre Wellington, a community with some of the most ambitious growth targets for housing in Southern Ontario.
“This groundbreaking event has been an opportunity to come together and acknowledge how far we’ve come, and what’s possible for future projects when we’re all working together at the local level,” said Habitat GW’s Ryan Deska.
“There are too many partners and supporters to name them all, but we will be taking time in the coming months to acknowledge the depth of support we have received, and more importantly, the community-wide belief in the work we do.”
Fundamental to Habitat GW’s ability to make housing affordable and to move forward on projects like this is support from funders like the Government of Canada.
“The Government of Canada is proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity in strengthening our commitment to provide safe, affordable homes for all Canadians,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “This investment of over $1.2 million through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund will directly support families in Fergus with secure homes they can proudly call their own. I am pleased to see our joint efforts bringing us one step closer to our goal of ensuring every Canadian has a safe place to call home.”
“Today’s announcement is a true example of the strong partnership between our government and Habitat for Humanity Guelph-Wellington,” said Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph-Ontario. “Together we are dedicated to providing safe, affordable housing to all Canadians and are proud to invest in projects like Garafaxa Village, where families can thrive in safe, stable homes within their community. Affordable housing remains a challenge across the country, but through the National Housing Strategy we will continue to find solutions.”
In March 2023, the Government of Canada and Habitat for Humanity Canada announced an additional $25 million investment to build 500 new affordable homes across Canada over the next three years. This brings the total federal investment in Habitat for Humanity to $80.8 million through the Government of Canada’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund.
Following the launch of Habitat GW’s Community Bonds program a little over one year ago, the level of community investment and support in Habitat GW projects has also been overwhelmingly positive and promises to play an important role in future projects throughout Wellington County.
With its recent $1.5 million investment in a Community Bond, Guelph-based Skyline Group of Companies has become the largest single investor in Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington and the Garafraxa Village project has overcome one of its final hurdles in moving forward with construction.
“At Skyline, we recognize that all types of housing are needed to meet demand and solve Canada’s housing crisis,” said Jason Ashdown. “Our roots may be in rental housing, but we have always sought creative and innovative ways to make a positive impact, and Habitat for Humanity’s affordable townhouse project checks off all the boxes for us. It is an effective solution to housing more families in Fergus, and we are proud to be investing directly in our own backyard to create new homes where they are badly needed.”
“It is really encouraging to see local housing providers like Skyline working together to help move much needed projects like this forward. It speaks to their leadership in the sector, and their commitment to their local community,” said Deska.
At the end of the day, Habitat GW is looking forward to the moment when keys will be turned over to deserving local families – families who will find stability, security, and affordability in their new homes.
But the work is just beginning. Over the coming weeks and months, Habitat GW will be building homes again, and looking to connect with local businesses, organizations, and volunteers who want to support these efforts. To learn more about how you can get engaged with the build, visit www.habitatgw.ca/build.
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
Ryan Deska
Director, Community Engagement and Development
Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington
ryan@habitatgw.ca
Micaal Ahmed Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities micaal.ahmed@infc.gc.ca
About Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington
Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington envisions a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. To achieve this vision, they partner with the Guelph and Wellington County communities to build homes that provide the foundation for bright, stable and empowered futures for the families and individuals who live there. Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington builds affordable homes in Guelph and Wellington County and partners with families through affordable housing so that they may attain social and financial stability to transform their futures and our community.
The Habitat for Humanity Canada model of affordable homeownership bridges a gap for people who face barriers to homeownership and would not otherwise qualify for a traditional mortgage. Local Habitat for Humanity organizations in every province and territory across Canada help build and rehabilitate decent and affordable homes, from single-family houses to multi-unit developments. With the help of volunteers and donors, Habitat helps families build their own homes and allow for them to pay an affordable mortgage geared to their income. Safe, decent and affordable homeownership plays a critical role in helping families build a foundation for a life with better choices and more opportunities and provides our community with a diverse range of employees and volunteers, coming from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds.
About Skyline Group of Companies
Skyline Group of Companies (“Skyline”) is a fully integrated asset acquisition, management, development, and investment entity.
It is comprised of companies that provide services in real estate management and development, as well as clean energy management and development.
Skyline currently manages more than $8.23 billion across its real estate and clean energy platforms.
With more than 1,000 employees across Canada, Skyline works to provide safe, clean, and comfortable places for tenants to call home, great places to do business, sustainable solutions for a greener future, and an engaging experience for its investors.
View Skyline’s 20th Anniversary celebration video to see how Skyline is grounded in real estate, powered by people, and growing for the future.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Cindy BeverlyVice President, Marketing & Communications
Skyline Group of Companies
5 Douglas Street, Suite 301
Guelph, ON N1H 2S8
519.826.0439 x602