Affordable housing advocate Places for People (P4P) has added another property to its inventory this month, purchasing an eightunit rental in Haliburton village.
Sue Tromanhauser, P4P president, announced the news June 25, saying the non-profit closed a $1 million deal for 104 Highland St. in May. It’s the second purchase the group has made in as many years, following the 2022 deal for a five-plex in Carnarvon.
“Haliburton County has traditionally vied with Manitoulin Island for the dubious distinction of being the poorest jurisdiction in Ontario, according to Statistics Canada,” Tromanhauser said. “This acquisition is P4P’s latest progress in ensuring the availability of housing people who live and work here can afford.”
Tromanhauser confirmed all existing tenants will remain.
The deal means P4P now owns and manages six properties across the County, comprising 20 residential units. The new location also comes with a commercial component, opening a new potential revenue stream for the non-profit, while there’s space behind the existing buildings that could be ripe for further development, Tromanhauser said.
She noted the successful community bond initiative P4P held last summer, which raised $850,000, helped the organization complete the purchase. Loans were secured through Haliburton County Development Corporation and Kawartha Credit Union – making this the first time a mainstream bank has invested in P4P.
“We’re becoming known across the County and further abroad as a leader in how to move the needle on making housing a priority for everyone,” Tromanhauser said.
Since 2007, the non-profit has housed more than 100 people in the Highlands – 32 families, including 47 adults and 56 children.
Dysart et al coun. Pat Casey was instrumental in the deal. The previous owner of the property, he agreed to sell to P4P under market value without listing it or taking other offers.
Casey, who owns Casey’s Water Well and Total Site Solutions, said he wanted to ensure existing tenants were maintained and well taken care of in any deal. He lauded P4P for its work offering affordable rents to people who live and work in the County.
“People should not have to worry about where they will sleep tonight and they should have the ability to be self-sufficient and contribute to their community,” Casey said. “Times are tight right now and for me, corporately and personally, if we do have some money to spread around to help somebody get the next leg up and get started, to me it’s a moral responsibility of mankind. It’s just good for society as a whole to contribute.”
P4P vice president Fay Martin said she’s already connected with existing tenants.
“I have in my heart what this means to these people. They won’t be dumped on the side of the road. They will continue to live where they’ve lived, many of them for several years, and at affordable rates,” Martin said. “These tenants are all people who live and work in our community.
“We are inheriting incredibly affordable rents, which is very difficult to maintain because we don’t have the deep pockets of developers… who in their right mind would do this? Nobody. But Places for People does because somebody has to,” she added.
“But investing in real estate, we’re taking on the crazy for-profit world to do what we can so people have access to housing they can afford,” Martin added.
For more information, or to donate to P4P, visit placesforpeople.ca., or contact info@placesforpeople.ca.
