A Home He Never Expected
Called Jack Layton Seniors Housing, the building at 1070 Queen E. was developed and is run by Woodgreen Community Services, a long-standing organization in Toronto’s South Riverdale.
A senior, diagnosed with spinal stenosis, Ernie was compelled to quit his job at Home Depot and faced renoviction some five years ago from his basement apartment. With the help of a Woodgreen community worker whom he met through his doctor, Ernie moved into another Woodgreen building in 2021. As his condition deteriorated and he needed more handicapped resources, he applied to 1070 Queen St. E. and was accepted into the rent-geared-to-income community. He couldn’t be happier.
Woodgreen, which has operated for 85 years, provides 1,846 social housing units across 39 properties in Toronto. Target groups, the agency says, include seniors, youth, newcomers, and people with disabilities or those transitioning out of homelessness.