The Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) has officially broken ground on its first housing initiative, which will bring 150 affordable homes to the area.

The 7.5 acre lot on 40 Florence St. W., donated by the Town of Huntsville, will evolve in three phases using a mass timber floor and wall panel system, explains a release.

Phase one is a four-storey, 47-unit apartment building, including 30 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and three, three-bedroom units. Eleven of the phase one units are barrier-free.

Phase two will add an adjacent four-storey, 60-unit mass-timber building, and the final phase will bring a three- to five-storey, 43-unit mass-timber building.

At the centre of the development will be a community common, including an amenity building and park space, the release notes.

Phase one construction is slated for completion and occupancy by December 2027.