Construction is underway on a 150-home development in Huntsville, Ont., that will use mass timber to deliver affordable housing while preserving much of the site’s existing forest.

The Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) broke ground on the Florence Street development on September 24. The 3 ha (7.5 a) project will be built in three phases, using mass-timber floor and wall panels.

Phase One will deliver a four-storey, 47-unit apartment building with 30 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units, and three three-bedroom units. Eleven units will be barrier-free.

Phase Two will add a four-storey, 60-unit mass-timber building. The final phase will add 43 units in a three- to five-storey mass-timber building.

The development aims to demonstrate a long-term approach to housing affordability in a region facing significant market pressure.

Forty per cent of the homes will remain permanently affordable. MCLT will remove those homes from the private real estate market and hold the land in trust as non-market housing.

The organization will also leverage current real estate conditions to maximize the number of affordable homes it can build while maintaining a self-sustaining model. Huntsville has a higher share of lower- to modest-income households than Ontario overall, at 55.3 per cent, and many households are priced out of the local market.

Funding sources

The project combines several funding sources. The District of Muskoka has provided $629,000 and committed another $1.3 million through the Muskoka Affordable Housing Initiatives Program. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) has contributed more than $519,000, while Muskoka Futures is providing a conditional $300,000 loan.

The project has also received conditional approval for funding through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Construction Through Wood program.

The Town of Huntsville donated the development site.

The project also prioritizes the existing landscape. Although the buildings can reach 14 m (46 ft), designers have kept them below the mature tree canopy surrounding the property. A detailed tree protection plan will guide construction. MCLT says most of the site will remain green space, with much of the original forest retained. A community common at the centre will include an amenity building and park space.

Phase one construction begins this month, with occupancy expected by December 2027.