Affordable rental housing celebrated in Ottawa

OTTAWA, Feb. 6, 2018 /CNW/ - More families, seniors, chronically homeless men and women, and people living with disabilities will now have a place to call home in Ottawa. The federal, provincial and municipal governments are investing over $74 million to create more than 675 affordable housing units.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with the Honourable Peter Milczyn, Ontario's Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, made the announcement today. Jim Watson, Mayor of the City of Ottawa, also participated in the event.

The announcement took place at an official opening for a new affordable housing development at 455 Via Verona Avenue in Ottawa, built in partnership with the Multifaith Housing Initiative. The development will provide 98 affordable apartments, including 10 accessible units.

Quick facts:

• The governments of Canada and Ontario jointly contributed over $54 million through the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) Agreement.
• The City of Ottawa also contributed more than $20 million to these projects.
• Canada's first ever National Housing Strategy is a 10-year, $40-billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home. Under the National Housing Strategy, the federal government will recognize and progressively implement every Canadian's right to access housing that meets their needs and that they can afford.

Quotes:

"Our Government is taking action to strengthen the middle class. Through new investments in the National Housing Strategy, we will ensure that more Canadians have access to housing that meets their needs and that they can afford. We will reduce housing need, lift more Canadians out of poverty, and contribute to strong, more inclusive communities."- The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

"As a government, it's our vision that every family has an affordable place to call home. When all three levels of government work together we can build strong, inclusive communities and reach our goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025." - The Honourable Peter Milczyn, Ontario Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy

"The City of Ottawa is committed to providing access to safe and affordable housing to all its residents. These important investments will help our most vulnerable residents find a stable place they can call home. By working collaboratively with the Provincial and Federal Governments and with our service providers, the City is increasing its affordable and supportive housing stock and remains on track to meet its goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2024." - Jim Watson, Mayor, City of Ottawa

"Ottawa has a pressing need for safe, affordable housing, and projects like The Haven can be life-altering. By helping to provide nice, safe homes, the community of partners behind these initiatives, and in particular governments at all levels, have answered the prayers of single parents and their children, persons with physical disabilities, new Canadians, and hundreds of others." - Mike Ward, President, Multifaith Housing Initiative

Associated links:

• As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
  
  
• Investing in affordable housing programs is part of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives. Since 2003, the province has committed more than $5 billion in funding for affordable housing, which has helped support more than 22,000 new affordable rental housing units, more than 335,000 repairs and improvements to social and affordable housing units and rental and down payment assistance to more than 93,000 households in need. These investments complement the commitments made through Ontario's recent Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy update, and support the province's goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025. For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on Twitter.

Backgrounder

List of projects announced

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation