Toronto Community Housing officially opened the doors today to the first residents of the revitalized Don Mount Court/Rivertowne community - Canada's first public housing development rebuilt as a mixed-income community. Don Mount Court/Rivertowne will transform one of the city's oldest downtown communities into a vibrant new neighbourhood of mixed-income living, representing a shift towards diversity and inclusivity in Toronto Community Housing communities.

Today's grand opening ceremonies included residents returning to Don Mount Court along with Mayor David Miller, MPP Mario Sergio, Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Jim Watson, local Councillor and Toronto Community Housing director Paula Fletcher (Ward 30), Giorgio Mammoliti City Councillor (Ward 7), Chair of the Toronto Affordable Housing Committee and Toronto Community Housing Board director and local neighbours and members of the business community.

A significant number of units in Don Mount Court were deemed uninhabitable in 2002 when Toronto Community Housing assumed responsibility for the development. In addition to the poor state of repair, Toronto Community Housing also recognized that the original design isolated residents from the surrounding neighbourhood. The revitalized community not only provides high quality housing but has been designed to meet residents' social and safety needs.

Located in south Riverdale, east of the Don Valley, Don Mount Court/Rivertowne will include 187 market-priced urban townhomes and 232 redeveloped Toronto Community Housing rental homes, establishing a new neighborhood on new public streets with landscaped boulevards, courtyards, pedestrian walkways and a new, two-acre neighbourhood park. The rental townhomes and the apartment building include a mix of one to five bedroom units in a number of suite styles including wheelchair accessible units. Buildings are designed in the height and style of surrounding low-rise buildings, and look similar to the market housing. The new community welcomes the extension of Munro Street to Queen Street East and the inclusion of a large public park.

Phase one of the residents' return will be mostly complete by August. Phase two construction will begin in 2009 with occupancy scheduled for 2010. Sale of the market housing has been highly successful with 99% of the townhomes sold. Construction has begun on the townhomes to the north of the rental housing and is slated to be complete in fall 2009.

The project is a joint venture including Don Mount Court Development Corporation (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toronto Community Housing), Intracorp Development Inc. and Marion Hill Development Corp., with the support of the City of Toronto, and the Ontario government. The transformation of Don Mount Court demonstrates the success of joint venture partnering and community engagement to improve the city's aging public housing and the quality of the communities where it is located. This mixed-income approach is one that Toronto Community Housing is using in Regent Park, will be using in Lawrence Heights and is being considered for other developments that require significant capital repairs.

The Government of Ontario and the Ontario Housing Corporation provided $9.2 million in funding to assist with the redevelopment and remediation of Don Mount Court.

"This innovative approach to affordable housing is a testament to what can be achieved when creative minds work together," said Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Jim Watson. "I want to congratulate Toronto Community Housing and all the partners for making this project a reality for the people who will live there."

Collaborative efforts have created a financially sustainable, mixed-income neighbourhood integrated with the surrounding community. Don Mount Court/Rivertowne will emerge as a dynamic new neighbourhood for Toronto and a model of city building. The City of Toronto is providing waived permit fees for development of the new social housing.

"The new Don Mount Court provides clear evidence of what can be done to rejuvenate a neighbourhood when governments work cooperatively with the private sector and the local community to meet the needs of residents," said Mayor David Miller. "It stands as a fine example of responsible city-building that can be followed elsewhere in the future."

"The regeneration process involved tenants at Don Mount Court, local residents, businesses and community agencies through advisory committees, public meetings and open houses," said Councillor Paula Fletcher. "Everyone in the community had a voice in the planning and redevelopment."

"We should all thank the residents who fought so hard to have their community preserved and rebuilt, as well as the surrounding neighborhoods that supported this transformation," stated Jack Layton, Leader of Canada's NDP, and MP for Toronto-Danforth. "Community renewals like this amazing redevelopment in Don Mount Court show how desperately we need an affordable housing strategy. We need hundreds more Don Mount Courts across Canada" he added.

"Don Mount Court/Rivertowne is a living example of our commitment to building inclusive neighbourhoods," said Derek Ballantyne, CEO, Toronto Community Housing. "This project successfully engaged residents and the private sector to re-create a Toronto neighbourhood that will be as healthy and successful as the community around it."

About Toronto Community Housing

Toronto Community Housing is Canada's largest social housing provider and home to more than 164,000 tenants with low and moderate income - about six per cent of the City of Toronto's population. These families, seniors, refugees, recent immigrants and people with special needs reside in 58,500 households in communities throughout Toronto.

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For more information, please contact:

Jeffrey Ferrier

Media Relations, Toronto Community Housing

(416) 981-4252 or jeffrey.ferrier@torontohousing.ca