Innovative supportive housing community plan receives development permit
MELBOURNE: An innovative supportive housing community plan has finally received all its planning approvals.
It’s been years in the making but the Town of Bassano’s development authority has issued the approval for the Newell Housing Foundation’s Connection Flats. The document was issued on June 15 and the appeal period will end on July 6. Once the appeal period is over contractors can begin to prepare the property east of 5th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue.
The project will include 10 senior’s supportive housing units. The units will be constructed off-site. Two are currently under construction.
“Newell Housing has permission to develop the land and we are continuing to work on the land transfer with the province,” said Newell Housing Foundation CAO Sasha Loewen.
The property is currently a field so it will need to be fully developed before the houses are brought on site. Loewen said the facilities will be made available by application to seniors 65 and over who are functionally independent, similar to their other facilities, the Villas in Brooks and Dr. Scott Apartments in Bassano.
There will be room for expansion on an additional five acres.
Plans for more seniors housing in Bassano started in the mid-2000s.
In 2015 the Foundation received an Affordable Supportive Living Initiative (ASLI) grant of $3.4 million.
The grant was removed in 2016, restored in 2017 and removed once more. It was returned last month to the foundation.
Since 2018, the Foundation had been working to have the funding re-approved.