Community Interest is High for PHARA's "SAVE MASSEY" Fundraising Campaign Launch

It has been a little over a week since PHARA launched the "SAVE MASSEY - Everyone and Every-Body Deserves a Home" campaign and so far, the feedback from the community and government officials has been very positive. With a focus on maintaining the residential building at 122 Massey Drive, PHARA launched a campaign to raise the $7.9 million needed to properly repair the building and save the 48 units where families live.

"The response has been very meaningful, and we are so pleased to see and hear the support for this campaign to save Massey," says Mike Van der Vlist, CEO of PHARA. "We have had government leaders make contact to discuss the challenges and opportunities.”

Of the $7.9 million needed to restore Massey, PHARA has already received a commitment for $1.2 million, which is a healthy start to the campaign.

"We are keeping a positive attitude about receiving the funding we need, and are in the process of tendering for quotes to begin construction in the early summer,” says Van der Vlist. “Having stable housing is a subject which is close to everyone’s hearts, and we know that this is a stressful time for the people who are living at Massey. We have heard the comments asking us to ‘save their homes’ and are doing everything we can to make this happen.”

PHARA has been diligent in maintaining the residential building at 122 Massey Drive for the past 30 years, but a recent engineer’s report revealed hidden structural issues that jeopardize the integrity of the building. The work completed to date is temporary and not a long-term solution. Permanent structural repairs and essential infrastructure work is required to be done as soon as possible to ensure the ongoing viability of the 48-unity affordable housing complex.

The team at PHARA, in addition to their busy schedule of providing affordable housing and health care services across North Bay and surrounding communities, are also focused on working with key government officials, funding agencies, community organizations, and the community at large to help financially support the campaign.

“We welcome the help of everyone. Tenants, community groups, and even private individuals are welcomed with open arms to lend their support to the campaign,” said Van der Vlist. “All efforts to raise funds and awareness are important as this is a huge undertaking. Thank you so much to everyone who has already reached out and to everyone who will reach out in the future.”

The SAVE MASSEY campaign slogan of “Everyone and Every-Body Deserves a Home” calls for donations to keep North Bay housing affordable and accessible. For more information about PHARA, including how to donate to support the campaign, please visit www.phara.org.

Westwinds Village is located at 122 Massey Drive, North Bay, Ontario. It is comprised of stacked apartments with a total of forty (40) units. An additional eight (8) units are reserved for PHARA’s Supportive Housing Program. The forty-eight (48) units are comprised of one, two, and three bedrooms. The rental costs for all units are based on Rent Geared to Income (RGI), Subsidized Rent, or Market Rent.