RELEASE: A Place To Call Home Is Just Around The Corner

(July 29, 2024 - PORT COLBORNE) For Christine Clark Lafleur, CEO of Port Cares, the past 12 months have flown by since the Port Colborne based charity put its first shovel in the ground on July 31, 2023 commencing construction on its affordable housing development for low income seniors and single parent mothers with children.
“It’s hard to believe that the building has come this far in such a short time. In just 12 months the majority of exterior construction is nearing completion and interior framing and servicing is well underway. Our affordable housing project is so needed and while the build is happening at record pace it can’t come soon enough to help the number of local residents who require and deserve a place to live that they can afford, is safe and dignified" says Clark Lafleur.

 For Clark Lafleur, the impetus to take on the mammoth task of building affordable housing was sparked by finding a tangible way to reduce the growing need and reliance on the food bank.

“Having to find ways to increase donations to the food bank and making the food bank bigger has never made sense to me.” Clark Lafleur explains that food banks came into existence in Canada 50 years ago as a stop gap measure to help alleviate conditions of poverty. Now a half century later, food banks including Port Cares are experiencing unprecedented demand as more and more households are having to rely on charity to feed themselves. Clark Lafleur believes that the alleviation of poverty and the ability to stave-off more households slipping into poverty rests in finding upstream solutions such as building more affordable housing.

“These days its simple – people in low income circumstances are just able or cannot afford to pay for both food and a decent place to live.”

 Port Cares’ 41-unit rental unit building located on Chestnut Street just south of Highway 3 and east of the Welland Canal is being built by Niagara based Rankin Construction. “We are so fortunate to have Rankin Construction as our builder. Tom Rankin and the entire Rankin team believe in investing in and supporting community and this is evidenced in the care and detail they put into what they do,” says Clark Lafleur noting the builder-led enhancements such as the customized HVAC system which will provide for energy efficiencies while maintaining affordable heating and cooling operating costs.

Currently substantial completion for construction is scheduled for early 2025 with tenant occupancy to follow commencing in late January through February 2025.

Since 1986, Port Cares has offered a multitude of services for people, young and old, not only in Port Colborne, but also across Niagara including Lincoln, West Lincoln, Welland, Pelham and Fort Erie. They offer housing, employment training, a foodbank, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, a meal program, utility assistance, counselling and crisis services- as well as seasonal programs like Give a Gift and more. Their services are wide-ranging - the need is undeniable.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT PORT CARES CHESTNUTSTREET AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT

• The build will provide deeply affordable rental housing for independent low-income seniors and female led-single parent families.
• The building consists of 32 one-bedroom units and 9 two-bedroom units.
• Funding for the $16 million building project has come through a variety of sources including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Rapid Housing Initiative, Region of Niagara, donors and fundraising.\
• Whiteline Architects of St. Catharines designed the building and Rankin Construction is the builder.
• The City of Port Colborne donated the property for the build to Port Cares for the sole purpose of the affordable housing build.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT PORT CARES REACHOUT CENTRE:

• Port Cares Reach Out Centre Food bank (ROFC) assists one in 8 local residents with one third of the people reliant on the ROFC Food Bank are children.
• The most needed food item donations for the food bank include canned meat, canned fruit, canned vegetables, pasta & sauce, peanut butter, cereal, jam, baby food, formula and diapers, personal hygiene items.
• Last school year the Port Cares Reach Out Food Centre located at 61 Nickel Street, Port Colborne, provided 3,100 lunch kits and more than 15,700 lunches to local school-age elementary and secondary school children who live in low-income households.
• Hot, nutritious community meals are served three times a week to families and individuals in need with more than 90 adults and children typically attend each meal.

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