An Innovative Housing Initiative for Special Needs Families Navigating the Housing Crisis
Confronting the housing crisis and barriers for exceptional families.
We are a family with three special needs children (now young adults). We have taken matters into our own hands to secure our family’s residential future. This, amidst compounded challenges associated with the housing and economic crises, extraordinary costs related to special needs care and barriers that neuro-diverse individuals face accessing employment, suitable housing, and appropriate supports.
It is NOT a level playing field.
To bridge the housing gap, we have employed our background in architecture, design and social innovation to embark upon an ambitious building project on the lot of our current home in North Toronto.
Coined “The Legacy Building Project” this endeavour is our response to the systems that relentlessly hinder special needs families from succeeding to realize a safe, secure, and sustainable housing future for our unique children. It aims to bridge beyond the gap where social policies and programs fall short.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The “Legacy Building Project” involves the construction of a unique purpose-built, multi-generational home and annex property in North Toronto, on the severed lot where our 1947 side split bungalow used to stand.
The project aims to meet the present and future needs of our special needs family. We see this as an opportunity to create both independent and communal living spaces for our children to live into the future together. Here they can provide the necessary mutual support they require, accommodate live-in caregivers, and offer rental suites to other special needs adults who are unable to find suitable social housing.
As an approach to innovation, we are incorporating human-centered and sustainable design approaches to meet the specific physical, psychological and functional needs of our family as well as the environment.
Project Objectives:
To facilitate practical and relevant housing solutions that will ease the financial burden for our family and families like ours who have exceptional needs and expenses.
To cultivate hope for families in similar situations considering legacy planning options.
To break systemic barriers to promote relevant pathways for innovative housing development by and for special needs families.
To bring awareness of the need for multiple housing models for diverse communities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Government: Families like ours need support from all levels of government to ease the burden of construction costs associated with legacy housing projects like ours. These costs include:
Severance fees,
Building permit fees,
Tree injury and removal fees,
Committee of adjustment fees,
Development Grants or interest free loans
Construction has begun on both properties with anticipated completion by Fall 2024. We are reaching out to you, the home improvement industry, the construction industry, the City of Toronto Planning Office, developers, our community, family and friends for any support you can extend in the following areas:
Industry can assist with:
Materials and supplies, discounted, donated or at cost
Volunteer labour
Communities can assist with:
Compassion
Advocacy
Moral support
OUR DECLARATION
“Our family faces exceptional circumstances! If the housing situation and cost of living crisis make home ownership and renting unattainable for neuro-typical individuals, imagine what the future holds for our children. We refuse to rely on our governments failing systems and economic instability to meet the future needs of our family. Our family ethos is deeply rooted in faith, resilience and ingenuity. This is the legacy we wish to leave our children.”
Contact Us
We thank you in advance for your support as we work towards this cause.
If you have any questions, kindly fill out the form, or reach out to us
over phone or email.
Email
legacybuildingproject@gmail.com
Phone
(416) 524-3534