An innovative model for affordable housing in Canada
The Haven is located in Longfields, Barrhaven. Construction began in 2015 and finished in summer 2017.
Ten homes of the 98 are designed to comfortably accommodate at least one member who has a physical disability. The Haven is designed to be welcoming for everyone. All homes and indoor amenity spaces are fully visitable, meaning that someone with a physical disability will be able to visit any neighbour in any of the units.
Not just a collection of units, The Haven features a mix of town homes and two low-rise apartment buildings, multi-use community space, an outdoor children's playground, and a community garden that promotes healthy living environment and community engagement.
The Haven features:
Ten homes of the 98 are designed to comfortably accommodate at least one member who has a physical disability. The Haven is designed to be welcoming for everyone. All homes and indoor amenity spaces are fully visitable, meaning that someone with a physical disability will be able to visit any neighbour in any of the units.
Not just a collection of units, The Haven features a mix of town homes and two low-rise apartment buildings, multi-use community space, an outdoor children's playground, and a community garden that promotes healthy living environment and community engagement.
The Haven features:
- 30 one-bedroom units
- 38 two-bedroom units
- 26 three-bedroom units
- 4 four-bedroom units
lEED Gold Certified
Towns: Homes that exceed the building code include features to provide greater energy savings and lower utility bills:
- high efficiency furnaces and hot water heaters, rated 95% efficient
- heat recovery with ventilation and air filtration that provides fresh air and superior indoor air quality
- double glazed windows with two "low-e” coatings to reflect heat back into the home
- walls with R24 insulation batts and R5 of continuous rigid foam
- Energy Star LED lighting
- high efficiency central heating, air conditioning and ventilation with three heat recovery systems integrated
- shared laundry room and a common room for tenants that can help to reduce the use of resources
- toilets, showers and faucets are very low-consumption to save water
- VOC-free and formaldehyde-free building materials and hard flooring surfaces to improve the indoor air quality
- durable construction methods are incorporated to manage impacts of rain, wind, snow and sun, and to reduce building maintenance
- radon gas resistant construction to improve health and safety
- all the wood framing and lumber is rated by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and comes from sustainably managed forests
- the construction waste is minimized then carefully sorted to recycle and reuse the majority of it
- landscaping choices are low-impact and use minimal to no irrigation
- homes are located within 200 metres of OC Transpo's transitway will help to reduce car travel and greenhouse gas emissions
Testimonials
More than 350 people – many of whom are children – now call The Haven home. For many, this will be their first real home, and for some, this is the fresh start they have been praying for."
- Suzanne Le, MHI Executive Director
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It is so impressive to see what determined, forward-thinking citizens can pull off when they put their minds to it. This clearly much-needed social housing project is both beautiful and so well thought out. I love the many ways it provides not only welcoming, accessible housing, but the incentives to build a cooperative community. The value it will add to the lives of the folks fortunate enough to live here will, I'm sure, be immeasurable." |
At The Haven, I finally feel like I can breathe. I can open the main door, and I am outside in a safe and beautiful environment. We are very grateful to be here. My son found new friends. Our home doesn’t smell like an ashtray, as our neighbours don’t smoke, thanks to the Non-Smoking Policy. We are now in a safe, quiet, beautiful neighbourhood [...] I enjoy meeting my many neighbours from different cultures and love their children. I am looking forward to continuing to serve MHI and my neighbours."
- Leïla Sieg, Haven resident & MHI volunteer
Funding for the haven
The total cost of construction was $19.3 million.
- Action Ottawa provided the land.
- Federal, provincial and municipal governments granted MHI $10 million for the construction of 98 units.
- MHI raised $1.2 million.
- MHI has financed the remainder of the cost through a long-term mortgage.
LiveWorkPlay
To better support our residents with intellectual disabilities, MHI has a partnership with LiveWorkPlay, a Canadian charitable organization for people with intellectual disabilities and medical conditions. Click the link below to learn more.
