The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

5 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,June 4,2020 w aterloochronicle.ca Crossword & SudokuAnswers 85 BRIDGEPORT RD. E. WATERLOO (Across from the Bridgeport Rd. Plaza) SINCE 1971 519-893-8118 FURNITURE & MATTRESSES SINCE 1971 Comfort Plus SINCE 1971 FURNITURE & MATTRESSES Comfort Plus SINCE 1971 FURNITURE & MATTRESSES 85 WE HAVE RE-OPENED By Appointment Only WE HAVE RE-OPENED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY PLEASE CALL 519-893-8118 FOR DETAILS MON.,TUES.,WED. 10AM - 6 PM THURS.& FRI. 10AM - 6 PM SATURDAY 9AM - 5 PM SUNDAY 12 PM - 4 PM More than half a centu- ry ago, members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Civi- tan Club saw a need for subsidized housing for se- niors. "We were pioneers," said longtime member Wally Wolff. "I don't think there were many people, even in To- ronto, doing what we did at that time." The club drew up its very own business model and in 1971, with dozens of members, opened a two- storey, 24-unit apartment building for seniors at 144 Erb St. E. The city had provided the land for $10,000, which was a good price even at that time, according to Wolff, who co-signed for the $270,000 mortgage. Ever since then, inhab- itants have paid lower- than-market rent geared to income, living there inde- pendently while responsi- ble for general upkeep such as flower planting and sea- sonal decorating. The building has been kept in good shape, the on- ly drawback being that there's no wheelchair ac- cessibility to the upper floor, Wolff said. While there are no im- mediate plans to disband, remaining Civitan mem- bers recently decided to di- vest the property, some- thing they probably should have done a number of years ago, he said. "First of all, there's six members now. I'm 87 years old." Management of such fa- cilities has also changed drastically, beyond the scope of current members. "To put it bluntly, it's outgrown our expertise." Supportive Housing of Waterloo (SHOW), which currently operates two af- fordable housing proper- ties, including a 30-unit apartment building at 362 Erb St. W, is looking to ex- pand its portfolio as a non- profit provider. A pending purchase price just shy of $2.5 mil- lion will rely on a fun- draised downpayment of $766,500. SHOW will be getting a capital grant of $200,000 from the Region of Water- loo towards the down pay- ment and has requested similar contributions from the City of Waterloo and Kitchener Waterloo Com- munity Foundation. Tim Sothern, SHOW's acting board president, said the Civitan building received a number of bids after being put up for sale. "The Civitan could have gotten more dollars at the table in an open market," noted Sothern. "They were committed to keeping this as an affordable complex." SHOW's commitment is to maintain the current level of affordability for all existing tenants ($522- $570/month), according to a report to regional coun- cil. As units become va- cant, new rent levels will target 80 per cent of aver- age market rent. SHOW's executive direc- tor, Gael Gilbert, said new ownership should lead to more supports for resi- dents. "We're just at the begin- ning of this road and mak- ing sure the services and supports will be available to all tenants," said Gilbert. A support person will be on call 24/7 and the instal- lation of a stair lift is being contemplated to provide accessibility to the second floor. As of September 2019, there were 1,104 senior-led households on the region's community housing wait- ing list (roughly one-quar- ter of the list at 24 per cent). With unemployment rising due to the pandemic, the need for subsidized housing will continue to in- crease, Gilbert said. "Our model was 'Togeth- er we can,' and it has been an ongoing project of the club for over 50 years," said Wolff. He recalls a time when the club brought in big- name bands to raise funds for not only the apart- ments, but projects such as the Children's Safety Vil- lage, Pride Stables, Meals on Wheels and Habitat for Humanity. The local Civitan club was the first to hold Okto- berfest outside of a German hall and was a forerunner to the Children's Wish Foun- dation, taking dozens of families away to Florida along with club members who acted as liaisons. Yet when it came to ser- vice clubs, Civitans com- prised "just one bulb in the tree," Wolff said. The people behind them numbered in the hundreds and included the spouses of members. "Service clubs have been invaluable here," he says. As for the money from the sale of the apartment building, the club has it earmarked for a special cause to be announced at a later date. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With a pandemic contributing to concern over costs of living, the Chronicle caught up with local charities working to maintain affordable hous- ing for seniors in Waterloo. 'I DON'T THINK THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE . . . DOING WHAT WE DID AT THAT TIME' BILL JACKSON bjackson@torstar.ca NEWS #GIVINGBACK: BETTER SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS EXPECTED SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA