Affordable housing re-development ready for construction in Oshawa, Ontario

The final design of a new affordable housing project in Oshawa is complete, with construction expected to begin this year on 160 units on Christine Crescent.

Toronto-based architects Montgomery Sisam hopes two buildings – four and six storeys high – will demonstrate how affordable housing can be “sustainable, family-oriented, and architecturally thoughtful” and set a new benchmark for mixed-income development in Ontario.

The Region of Durham project, located near Ritson Road and Highway 401, is transforming an aging community housing site by replacing 12 semi-detached homes with two contemporary buildings to deliver 160 new mixed-income rental homes and significantly expanding the region’s affordable housing supply.

The design of the building focuses on dignity, livability, and connection, according to the region, both within the buildings and to the surrounding neighborhood:

• Carefully massed to respect its residential surroundings, the buildings use pitched roofs, articulated façades and light materials to reduce perceived scale and integrate into the neighborhood. A new public forecourt and landscaped courtyard connect directly to Chopin Park, strengthening pedestrian links and community life.
• Inside, the project prioritizes families, offering a flexible mix of one- to four-bedroom units, including rare four-bedroom apartments, all designed on a 6-metre modular grid to ensure livable proportions, operable windows and long-term adaptability.
• Shared spaces are treated as essential infrastructure and residents have access to lounges, party rooms, fitness facilities, and rooftop amenities. Outdoors, a landscaped courtyard includes a community patio, picnic areas, an outdoor gym and direct park access.
• Sustainability is central. A low-embodied-carbon wood structure, geothermal heat pump system, and high-performance envelope dramatically reduce environmental impact, while detailed sun, wind, and daylight analysis informed the building form and outdoor spaces.

The development, which will begin thia summer and is expected to completed in 2028, will offer a diverse mix of rent-geared-to-income, affordable, and market rental housing.

Durham Region is re-imagining a total of five of their social housing locations, with Christine Crescent and a 16-unit building on 409 Centre St. S. (home of the ‘Bee’ sculpture) that will be redeveloped with a new 30-unit, three-storey building, expected to get underway this year.

Two other sites in Oshawa will see construction begin over the next two years:

• 600 Townline Road – The Region of Durham purchased the former Grandview Children’s Centre, a four-acre property at the northwest corner of Townline Road and Bloor Street, in March 2025. A new four-storey building with 36 units is proposed at the corner of Townline/Bloor, and 16 townhouses are proposed along Townline Road: Construction on this site is expected to commence in 2027, with occupancies in 2028.
• 416-448 Malaga Road – The site currently contains 65 townhouses that require replacement. The proposal will redevelop the entire site with a mix of affordable and market rental units in two new mid-rise apartment buildings, stacked and back-to-back townhouses containing approximately 439 units: Construction is anticipated to begin in 2028.

“We see an opportunity to better serve the needs and wishes of existing tenants and the surrounding community,” the region said in a statement when preliminary designs were announced for the projects. “Our vision is to provide a range of housing for diverse needs; create new modernized housing; and support a sense of community and pride of place.”