New affordable housing project receives grand opening in London’s Old East Village
Global News
Constructed on the site of the former Embassy Hotel, Embassy Commons contains 72 geared-to-income units along with common areas, outdoor amenities and social supports.
More than two and a half years after breaking ground on the project, the Christian charity Indwell on Tuesday marked the official grand opening of its new affordable housing development in London’s Old East Village.
Constructed on the site of the former Embassy Hotel, the Embassy Commons project contains 72 geared-to-income residential units, along with common areas, outdoor amenities, and addictions and psychosocial supports.
Work on the three-storey project, located at the corner of Dundas and English streets, began in the summer of 2020 and was completed last year. Embassy Commons’ first tenants began moving in at the start of November 2022.
Along with Embassy Commons staff and officials from Indwell, London Mayor Josh Morgan was on hand Tuesday for the grand opening, in addition to London MPs Peter Fragiskatos, Arielle Kayabaga and Lindsay Mathyssen, and Greg Nash and Sean Warren of London InterCommunity Health Centre.
In a statement, Morgan said the new units represented not just housing, but also compassion and commitment to those in need of support.
“Those who occupy these units will have a dignified and safe space to call home in addition to a wide variety of healthcare and related supports. The City of London is deeply committed to this work, and we share with our partners in celebrating this occasion,” he said.
Among those now calling Embassy Commons home is 55-year-old Shawn Russwurm, who moved into the building in December.
“I love it here at Embassy House,” he told Global News with a laugh. “It’s a lot quieter than the other building I was in, a whole different atmosphere, different people. Whole different attitude down here.