The Ontario government has deployed a new tool to help the Town of The Blue Mountains accelerate construction of a seniors’ residence.

On April 3, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark announced that he had issued an order through the province’s Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator program to help the municipality fast-track a proposal to build a Campus of Care on land on Peel Street.

“I’m pleased to see our municipal partners using the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator being used to better meet the needs of its seniors and build much-needed housing and long-term care beds faster,” said Clark. “This is exactly the kind of partnership that our government needs to support. We continue to encourage municipalities to consider using this new tool to help address needs in their communities and get priority projects off the ground faster.”

Once complete, the Community Campus of Care will include 160 beds for seniors. It will also provide a range of retirement home living options, such as affordable housing and attainable housing units (e.g., townhouses and apartments), daycare facilities, and certain commercial uses.

This decision marks the first time the province has drawn on the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator program. The province says the initiative will help municipalities speed up approvals for housing and community infrastructure, like hospitals and community centres.

“The approval will help expedite the Campus of Care project to add 160 long-term care beds to our community,” said Andrea Matrosovs, Mayor of the Town of the Blue Mountains. “This is a central component to the creation of a micro-community on a multi-generational campus. Through this initiative, the town has an opportunity to increase much-needed long-term care access and support services for our local residents. It is vital our residents have options to stay in our community to remain close to their social support network.”

Recent changes to the province’s Planning Act helped pave the way for the government to create the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool.

Only local municipalities may submit an order request under the program relating to publicly or privately owned lands within their geographic boundaries.