Vision SoHo Celebration!
Vision SoHo Alliance celebrates groundbreaking at former Victoria hospital site
First-of-its-kind housing development will increase London’s housing supply with over 680 mixed-rent apartments
A groundbreaking event this morning (Friday, October 14th, 2022) celebrated the Vision SoHo Alliance taking possession of the Old Victoria Hospital Lands and the start of construction for the single largest affordable housing development in London’s history.
With over 6,000 families and individuals on the waitlist for social housing in our community and rents increasing 36.9% in the last year, the need for affordable housing has never been greater. The Vision SoHo Alliance is helping to increase London’s much needed housing supply by adding over 680 units, over half of which will be affordable.
At the beginning of September 2022, the Alliance officially took possession of the former Victoria Hospital lands and in the coming months, the group will commence construction on the site. There is extensive site work and servicing that will begin in early 2023 with the bulk of construction taking place in the spring of 2023 through to its completion in 2025.
The Vision SoHo Alliance is a first-of-its-kind group of non-profit housing developers in Canada. With a unified Vision and concept plan, the Alliance can work quickly to deliver the housing units in a much shorter time frame than would be possible if each building was developed separately.
“Vision SoHo is an example of how we can address some of our community’s most pressing issues through collaboration,” says Greg Playford, spokesperson for the Vision SoHo Alliance. “Not one single group could achieve this alone but by working together we’re able to make a significant impact and increase the availability of affordable homes in our community.”
Offering a variety of unit types that range in affordability from market rent, 80% of market rent and deeply affordable at less than 70% of market rent, the development will cater to a diverse group of individuals and family types. This mixed-income model is a hallmark of the project and is essential to achieving this level of affordability. Vision SoHo Alliance will feature environmentally friendly, well-managed, attractive units that create a safe and accessible community, and foster a sense of belonging among residents.
“Our community can’t wait any longer. Access to safe, affordable housing is critical to well-being. This is a community-wide issue that will require a collaborative effort to address and the Vision SoHo Alliance is doing exactly that. I applaud their leadership in helping to increase the supply of affordable housing in our community while honouring the rich history and heritage of the former Victoria Hospital site,” says Mayor Ed Holder.
Convened by the London Community Foundation, the Vision SoHo Alliance is composed of six local non-profit housing developers including The Chelsea Green Home Society, Homes Unlimited, Indwell, Residenza Affordable Housing, London Affordable Housing Foundation and Zerin Development Corporation. Each one of the developers have a proven track record of successful award-winning developments and a combined portfolio of 35 projects and over 2,200 apartments and townhomes.
For more information visit visionsoho.ca
Download renderings here