A new affordable housing complex in Sudbury, Ontario, featuring 38 one-bedroom units is set to open next month. Eileen Mahood, chair of the Peace Tower Housing Project, shared that her late husband, Jeremy Mahood, a respected Sudbury pastor, envisioned the project coming to fruition.
Mahood expressed her excitement, emphasizing the quality of the building and the opportunity it offers residents to truly make it their home. The idea for the development was discussed by her husband and Sudbury developer Dario Zulich in 2018, a year before Jeremy’s sudden passing, highlighting the pressing need for affordable housing even back then.
Dario Zulich generously donated land for the project beside the Sudbury water tower, with a prime view of the downtown area. The not-for-profit Peace Tower Housing Project, established in 2022, successfully secured $12 million in combined provincial and federal funding to construct the five-story building.
Priority for the apartments will be given to individuals on the City of Greater Sudbury’s Housing Registry. Rent for the units will be capped at $1,244 per month or 80% of market value by 2025. Additionally, rent will be income-based, ensuring it does not exceed 30% of a tenant’s monthly income.
While Mahood acknowledged that the 38-unit building is just a start, she stressed the challenges in obtaining funding for such initiatives, noting the difficulty faced by not-for-profits in accessing capital for affordable housing projects.
The Peace Tower Project stands out as the first building in northern Ontario to be constructed using cross-laminated timber, a sustainable material that offers construction efficiency and environmental benefits. Architect Chris Baziw highlighted the material’s sustainability and the speed of construction, with the five-story building completed within 12 months.
Looking ahead, Baziw expressed optimism about the potential for quick construction of future projects using cross-laminated timber, seeing it as a significant step toward addressing Ontario’s housing shortage.