Some Canadore College students will have much older roommates in a bid to expand housing
61 2-bedroom units will be made available for students and seniors to co-habitate
Some students at Canadore College in North Bay will be moving in with some older roommates soon.
The college is partnering with the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) to offer cohabitation between students and older adults at an apartment building located at 681 Commercial Street.
"It's a perfect example of how we're thinking outside the box to create sustainable housing solutions that truly benefit our community," said DNSSAB chair Mark King in a news release.
"This cohabitation model does more than just provide affordable housing – it fosters companionship and a sense of security for our older residents. It's a step toward our mission of creating healthy, sustainable communities for everyone."
Thirty-nine two-bedroom apartments are currently ready for occupancy and another 22 units will be made available by May 1.
Canadore College president and CEO George Burton told CBC News that students will be chosen to live there based on their preferences.
"Not every student has the same lifestyle," he said.
"So those that will be in that building will have a preference, a stated preference, to living with older adults in a mixed community."
The units will be part of Canadore College's "village model", and will include a variety of health and wellness services.
"The village model is based on bringing the very best of Indigenous, eastern and western wellness practices together in a multidisciplinary approach with the individual at the centre of all this," Burton said.
With files from Brendan Connor