So much of the social finance work London Community Foundation does relies on work done in the background by law firm Lerners LLP. Mark Evans, a partner at Lerners, tells us a bit more about the work he does for the Foundation.
Read More
Deb McKenna, Construction Manager at Flourish, a social enterprise established by Indwell that specializes in affordable housing development, shares her perspective on some of the challenges that come with repurposing the two heritage buildings on the Vision SoHo site.
Read More
Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed the large crane on the site of the Vision SoHo project on the grounds of the old Victoria Hospital. Construction of the underground parking lot is now well underway, with the crane on the site being the longest ever seen in London at 75 metres long. Here’s how the site is progressing.
Read More
The 99 Pond Mills mixed-income development opened in May 2023, but London Community Foundation’s involvement in the project goes back to 2019. We take a look back at five aspects of the project that made it such an attractive investment for our Social Impact Fund.
Read More
A lesser-known element of what we do at London Community Foundation is harnessing the power of finance for positive change through impact investing, creating meaningful change within the community through our Social Impact Fund.
Read More
LCF recently loaned $400,000 to United Way Oxford, for a transitional housing project in Tillsonburg that really speaks to the importance of strong partnerships, and how quickly change can be made when everyone pulls in the same direction.
Read More
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.
Read More
Seeing the dire need for affordable housing in London, an issue exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Gateway Church made a generous gift of $50,000 in support of the Vision SoHo Alliance’s redevelopment of the Old Victoria Hospital Lands.
Read More
In 2016, Richie Bloomfield, Jeremy Horrell and two of their friends were gathered at a coffee shop, discussing what urban agriculture could look like in London.
“We had seen the inspiring work groups were doing in other places similar to London,” says Richie. “In some cities, like Detroit, people in need could stop by and pick up free, fresh produce, which is truly inspiring – but these groups often expressed a lot of anxiety around their financial position.”
This casual discussion is what eventually led Richie and Jeremy and their two friends to co-found Urban Roots London.
Read More
Homes Unlimited (London) Inc. is a London-based non-profit housing developer. Founded in 1972, the organization, along with its sister corporation Odell-Jalna Residences of London, owns 524 affordable housing units across the city, offering safe, affordable and accessible housing for people in London with lower incomes. As part of the Vision Soho Alliance, Homes Unlimited plans to add 100 more affordable units to its roster with a new building on the old Victoria Hospital lands.
Originally established in 1993 as the Fanshawe Bursary, the Homes Unlimited Memorial Bursary Fund supports tenants, or their children, living at a property operated by Homes Unlimited (London) Inc. or Odell-Jalna Residences of London Ontario with tuition fees for full-time studies at Fanshawe College.
Read More
The importance of having a place to call home goes beyond just four walls – it means having a sense of safety, security and love.
Unfortunately, too many youth in our community go without this basic need. The risk of experiencing homelessness is especially great for those who are exiting the child protective care system. With the help of a $780,000 loan from LCF’s Social Impact Fund, Youth Opportunities Unlimited ( YOU ) in partnership with Children’s Aid Society London and Middlesex has been able to address this gap.
Read More
The Vision SoHo Alliance, a newly formed partnership between six nonprofit housing developers announced today its commitment to purchase the vacant Old Victoria Hospital lands to develop a vibrant mixed-use housing complex that will help increase the supply of affordable housing in our community.
Read More
LCF has awarded $216,537 amount in funding to 6 more social purpose organizations in London & Middlesex County as part of the Government of Canada’s Investment Readiness Program (IRP). These organizations are working to create meaningful jobs, strengthen the charitable and nonprofit sector, and address social challenges, including the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These organizations will be better prepared to receive investment, including through the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund.
Read More
London’s affordable housing crisis is only expected to get worse with COVID-19’s impact on the economy. That’s why London Community Foundation (LCF) is proactively reaching out to potential developers of affordable housing who may need access to financing to get started.
Read More“The night I moved in, I sat in this chair and looked out the window. I didn’t have any blinds or curtains up yet, but I thought to myself, I finally feel home.”
This is what Barbara Cobbe, a Zerin Place resident of six years, said when asked about the impact the building has had on her life.
Read More