Eastwood’s Newest Building Answers a Growing Need For someone searching for a home in St. Thomas, a new apartment building on Highview Drive offers something that can be hard to find -- an affordable place to settle in. Highview Hideaway, Eastwood Housing Corporation’s newest development, welcomed its first resident in June and has since held its official grand opening. The five-storey building has 82 apartments: 15 studios; 49 one- bedroom units and 18 two-bedroom units. Forty-eight of the apartments are designated affordable housing. The mix was shaped by local need, says Jon McCurry, CEO and Director of Operations for Eastwood Housing Corporation. “We looked at the wait list for the city,” Jon says. Demand for two- and three-bedroom apartments was especially high, with one-bedroom units close behind. While Highview Hideaway does not have three-bedroom apartments, its range of smaller units creates options for single people, couples, seniors and families. Eastwood has provided housing in St. Thomas and Elgin County since 1982. What began as a ministry of Eastwood Baptist Church has grown into a Christian non-profit housing corporation with seniors’ buildings, family townhouses and properties in St. Thomas and Aylmer. Highview Hideaway marks a new chapter for an organization whose older buildings largely date back to the 1980s. The project began with a conversation about another property. When developer Doug Tarry suggested a parcel of land behind one of Eastwood’s Highview properties, Jon saw an opportunity to build more homes than a townhouse development could Seniors Got Talent
PEACE, LOVE & GREAT HAIR merry christmas THE TURKEY SHOPPE The City of St. Thomas contributed $3 million toward the project. Under its agreement with the city, Eastwood is working with community organizations to fill 35 of the 48 affordable apartments. Partners include the city, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the YWCA and The INN. Some new residents have come from situations in which they were working but had no permanent place to live. Others are ready to move from a supported housing program into their own apartments. Highview Hideaway offers independent living, and provide. The site was already zoned for a five-storey apartment building, helping the project move ahead. The first planning conversations took place in November, 2023. Eastwood received occupancy approval on June 3, 2026, and the first tenant moved in on June 15. Jon says construction was completed in 80 weeks, four weeks ahead of schedule and under budget. Watching the wood structure rise in just nine weeks was one of the memorable moments.
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Page 26 Hometown St. Thomas • November 2026 Page 38 Hometown St. Thomas • December 2025 Visit www.stepac.ca or drop by 301 Talbot Street, St. Thomas 519 631-4040 info@stepac.ca or use the code!
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