Posted by Moishe Alexander

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing (Housing), today announced $350,000 to support the construction of a new affordable housing development in Lewisporte.

Funding for this project has been made available through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The Federal and Provincial governments are contributing equally to this overall investment of $58 million under the amended Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Affordable Housing Program Agreement.

“Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our government is taking concrete action to help ensure our economic recovery and create the conditions for long-term growth,” said Minister MacKay. “Funding new construction projects like these projects will not only improve the overall housing conditions, and quality of life of its residents by keeping their homes safe and affordable for years to come, but also help stimulate the local economy and create jobs.”

“We have been making great strides in helping to increase the availability of affordable housing throughout Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister Hedderson. “This announcement of 10 new units in Lewisporte is one of dozens of similar affordable housing partnerships that have come to fruition over the past year or will in 2011, each of which will enable low-income seniors and persons with disabilities to live independently and with integrity.”

“I am proud to be part of making these new affordable homes a reality in Lewisporte,” said Clayton Gillingham, of CWG Enterprises Ltd. “This partnership between the federal and provincial governments and our company will help meet the housing needs of our seniors for years to come.”

The project will involve the construction of two three-bedroom, five two-bedroom, two one-bedroom units and one bachelor unit; including one unit for persons with disabilities. The federal/provincial funding includes $315,000 from Housing for Low-Income Seniors as well as $35,000 under Housing for Persons with Disabilities. The proponent will provide the remaining funding to cover the cost of the project. The anticipated completion date for this project is August 2011.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides $475 million, over two years, to build new rental housing for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes $2 billion for new and existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.

One of the key objectives for the Provincial Government is to stimulate the development of affordable rental housing in the private, public and non-for profit sectors. Provincial priority is on rental housing for seniors, persons with disabilities and those who require supports to live independently in the community.

Posted by Moishe Alexander

Work is progressing well on the Ressources habitation de l’Ouest and Maison CACI projects that will soon breathe new life into the site of Place de l’Acadie. These two housing projects will provide 223 units for low- and modest-income households in the borough of Ahuntsic – Cartierville, in Montréal.

This observation was made today, on the occasion of the site visit, by Senator Claude Carignan, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Christine St-Pierre, Member of the National Assembly for Acadie and Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women, on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy; and Gérald Tremblay, Mayor of Montréal, in the presence of community partners.

The construction of these units represents an investment of more than $38 million. These projects are being developed thanks to a contribution of nearly $25 million on the part of public partners. The governments of Canada and Quebec are jointly providing close to $17 million through the AccèsLogis Québec program and under the Affordable Housing Initiative Program Extension Agreement signed between Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ). The City of Montréal provided more than $4.8 million, which will be partially repaid by the Montréal Metropolitan Community out of the social housing fund to which the 82 municipalities on its territory contribute, including the City of Montréal, which provides almost half of the funding.

Moreover, some $3 million in financial assistance was provided in equal shares by the Government of Quebec and the City of Montréal, under the Renovation Québec program.

“Our government is committed to giving a hand up to Quebecers who need some help in these tough economic times,” said Senator Carignan. “Through projects like these, our government is providing safe, affordable housing to many residents in our community, while creating jobs and stimulating our economy.”

“The development of these two major projects is excellent news for the people of Montréal and demonstrates the importance that our government attaches to ensuring the wellness of the citizens of Quebec. Thanks to the combined efforts of the different partners, many families and individuals will soon benefit from 223 safe, quality housing units that meet their needs, at an affordable cost, right here in the riding of Acadie,” said Minister St-Pierre.

“The Acadie project is both a victory and a rebirth — a victory for the tenants and a rebirth for a whole neighbourhood and its population. Before, Place de l’Acadie was synonymous with unhealthy, unsafe accommodations and lack of respect for people’s dignity and right to decent housing. Now, Place de l’Acadie is a victory of solidarity and mobilization,” said the Mayor of Montréal.

“The redevelopment of Place de l’Acadie arose from an initiative undertaken by several key players in Bordeaux – Cartierville, including police officers, municipal inspectors, firefighters, CLSC workers, community organizations and local politicians. It is thanks to them that more than 200 families will soon be housed in adequate dwellings and, above all, regain the dignity and pride of living in an interesting environment,” recalled Pierre Gagnier, Mayor of the borough of Ahuntsic – Cartierville.

Among the tenants of the two housing projects, 112 households will be able to benefit from the Rent Supplement program, which provides financial assistance to low-income individuals who would otherwise have to spend more than 25 per cent of their income on housing. In addition, the rent supplements provided will represent, over a five-year period, more than $1.7 million in financial assistance, including $1.5 million from the SHQ and over $170,000 from the City of Montréal.

Since 2003, 11,300 community housing units have been, or are being, developed on the Island of Montréal, including 396 in the riding of Acadie, representing total investments of nearly $1.4 billion.

Thanks to the additional $210 million in funding announced in the Budget Speech delivered on March 30, 2010, the Government of Quebec has increased its target for the development of affordable rental community and private housing from 27,000 to 30,000 units. To date, more than 25,000 of these units have been delivered or are under development.

In 2008, the Government of Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over five years for housing and homelessness programs. This investment extended the Affordable Housing Initiative and the renovation programs for low-income households for two more years. Canada’s Economic Action Plan also provides for an investment of more than $2 billion in new and existing social housing. For Quebec, these combined contributions mean a joint investment of more than $820 million under the Agreement concerning certain residential renovation and adaptation programs, as well as the Affordable Housing Initiative Program Extension Agreement, which includes $538 million for Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

SUMMERSIDE, PEI, February 19, 2010 — The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced today the approval of more than $8.2 million in low-cost loans for the communities of Summerside and Stratford as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

The City of Summerside has been approved for a low-cost loan of $8 million to develop an electrical generating wind farm. This includes the installation of four wind turbines, the interconnection of the electrical grid and the construction of related transmission infrastructure in order to provide the residents of Summerside with green power and more stable electricity costs.

The Town of Stratford has been approved for a low-cost loan of more than $200,000 to improve their sewer and water systems. This includes installing new sewer mains for approximately 50 properties and new water mains for approximately 22 properties along Georgetown Road.

“Our Government understands the importance of infrastructure in maintaining strong and prosperous communities,” said Minister Shea. “This program is opening the door for municipalities of all sizes to meet their housing-related infrastructure needs. Canada’s Economic Action Plan is creating jobs and stimulating the economy in the town of Stratford, and right here in Summerside.”

Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides up to $2 billion in direct low-cost loans to municipalities, over two years, for housing-related infrastructure projects through CMHC’s Municipal Infrastructure Lending Program (MILP). Municipal infrastructure loans are available to any municipality in Canada and will provide a new source of funds for municipalities to invest in housing-related infrastructure projects. These low-cost loans can also be used by municipalities to fund their contribution for cost-shared federal infrastructure programming.

“This low interest loan from the CMHC’s Municipal Infrastructure Lending Program allows the City to have significant savings with the borrowing of the loan,” said Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart. “Producing wind energy was made a priority by our province and City, and having the opportunity to borrow this money through Canada’s Economic Action Plan has allowed the City to decrease the cost of borrowing.”

“We are pleased to be able to obtain a loan for our Georgetown Road infrastructure project from CMHC at a rate that is significantly lower than what we can obtain from the market,” said Stratford Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “The CMHC loan, along with the Building Canada infrastructure funding and the New Deal Funding, allowed the Town to provide much-needed sewer and water services to residents of the area, along with greatly improving safety via the addition of sidewalks and bicycle lanes. This project is a key step in accomplishing our goal of linked systems of sidewalks and bicycle lanes, encouraging our residents to use alternative transportation whenever possible and stay physically active.”

Eligible projects include infrastructure related to housing services such as water, power generation and waste services, as well as local transportation infrastructure within and into residential areas, such as roads, sidewalks, lighting and green space.

As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes — homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.

Posted by Moishe Alexander.