Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Housing in St. Catharines

Real Estate — August 16, 2012

ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 16, 2012) - The official opening of 38 new affordable rental housing units for seniors living on low income was held today in St. Catharines. The project received $4 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments. The construction of this project created up to 95 jobs in St. Catharines.

Rick Dykstra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); the Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of the Environment and Member of Provincial Parliament for St. Catharines, on behalf of the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; along with Niagara Region Chair Gary Burroughs, and Brian McMullan, Mayor of St. Catharines, made the announcement.

"Our Government is proud to invest in affordable housing in St. Catharines and across the country to help create jobs and improve the quality of life for those who need it most," said Parliamentary Secretary Rick Dykstra. "Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, seniors have a stable, safe and affordable place to call home."

"Our seniors deserve the right to live with dignity in a safe, affordable and accessible home," said Minister Bradley. "This project is making a positive difference in the lives of our seniors in St. Catharines."

The 38-unit City View Heights project located at 99 Merritt Street provides 28 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units. The federal and provincial funding is complemented by $174,800 in regional financial incentives.

"Safe and affordable housing is a pillar of healthy and strong communities," said Regional Chair Gary Burroughs. "These 38 new affordable housing units will make a huge difference in the lives of the seniors who will live here and contribute to their community. Congratulations to PBG Homes, Niagara Regional Housing and the Canada Ontario Affordable Housing Program for working together to create this much-needed addition to the supply of affordable housing in Niagara."

"As Niagara Regional Housing celebrates its 10^th Anniversary, affordable housing continues to dominate as a high priority for this Region," said Niagara Region Housing Chair Karen Murray. "Congratulations to City View Heights and PBG Homes on your new 38-unit apartment building for seniors and for increasing the stock of affordable housing to those in our community."

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest more than $2 billion in housing this year. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of almost 605,000 households living in existing social housing. In Ontario, this represents some 237,750 households. These investments are improving the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in existing social housing, including individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and Aboriginal people.

Ontario continues to build new affordable housing and repair existing units for Ontarians with housing needs. Since 2009, the provincial government has provided nearly $183 million to build new rental housing units for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. Ontario's overall investment of over $2.5 billion has translated into the construction and repair of more than 270,000 housing units and the provision of 35,000 rent supplements for Ontario families on fixed incomes. The province's Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy sets a strong foundation for a more efficient, accessible affordable housing system in Ontario.

Affordable housing is a key component of Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy (http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/breakingthecycle/index.aspx). Download a copy of the Government of Ontario's Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy at http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=8590. To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.ontario.ca/housing.

To find out more about how the Government of Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca.

Disponible en français

For more information visit:

www.cmhc.ca

www.ontario.ca/housing

Contact Information

Media inquiries:
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Dean D'Souza
416-250-2760

Office of Minister Wynne
Kelly Baker
416-585-6842

Office of Minister Finley
Marian Ngo
819-994-2482

Niagara Regional Housing
MaryEllen MacLellan
905-682-9201, ext.: 3938