Feds provide $345,000 to expand accessible housing at Community Living Huntsville’s Floral Villa

With a mission to provide safe, affordable and supported housing for people with disabilities, Community Living in Huntsville has received $345,000 to renovate its home at 18 Main St. W.

With a mission to provide safe, affordable and supported housing for people with disabilities, Community Living in Huntsville has received $345,000 to renovate its home at 18 Main St. W. The $1.2-million project is expected to begin within the next few weeks, with officials hoping to wrap up by early 2027. To help cover the remaining costs, the organization is asking for donations with a fundraising goal of $500,000.

The home, known as the Floral Villa, was built in the mid-1880s and currently stands as a single dwelling. Suzanne Willett, Community Living’s executive director, told The Forester that the plan is to implement four self-contained units, an emergency room, an office space and a shared kitchen. For many people with developmental disabilities, finding a suitable and long-term home proves difficult in a variety of ways, through a number of unique barriers.

Willett explained that Community Living aims to support people in ways specific to each person’s needs. The organization’s hope is to create a welcoming community where there are equitable opportunities for all to be respected, included and contributing community members. “Every person is individual,” said Willett.

“One person might find barriers finding employment, somebody might find a barrier finding affordable, suitable housing.” Administered by United Way Simcoe Muskoka, the funding is provided by the Government of Canada through its Reaching Home stream, meant to support the homelessness strategy in rural and remote communities. Willett added that the average person waits between four and 10 years to get into district housing, while someone with a developmental disability is waiting 10 times as long for housing Ontario-wide.

“We feel that we had a location that could fill that need, so we’re doing everything we can to put some more affordable housing units on the market,” said Willett. According to a news release, Community Living first opened the home to community members with developmental disabilities in 1990. Willett said the project is meant to be a transitional space, where residents can learn the skills to live on their own, and later find more permanent housing to accommodate their needs.

“Our hope is that it’ll be a welcoming space for those that require housing and where people can live with dignity, stability, and belonging.” Renovations are expected to start within the next few weeks and officials are hoping to wrap up by early 2027. “Community Living in Huntsville is about inclusion and belonging within the community,” said Willett.

“While this home in particular will house people that have developmental disabilities, the impact that I hope we have is that landlords will rent to the people that we support.” Rebecca Hudescu is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter writing for the Huntsville Forester. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.