Governments of Canada and Ontario celebrate affordable housing in Kingston and the Thousand Islands region

KINGSTON, ON, March 16, 2018 /CNW/ - More families, seniors and people living with mental illness and addictions will now have a place to call home in Kingston and the Thousand Islands region. The federal and provincial governments are investing over $9 million to create 78 affordable housing units.

Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with Sophie Kiwala, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands on behalf of the Honourable Peter Milczyn, Ontario's Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, made the announcement today. Bryan Paterson, Mayor of the City of Kingston also participated.

The announcement took place at an official announcement for Addiction and Mental Health Services' 35 Lyons Street location, which will include 23 affordable housing units.

Other affordable housing developments in Kingston, Brockville, Gananoque and Lansdowne were celebrated at the event.

Quick facts:

• 35 Lyons Street will be built next door to another Addiction & Mental Health Services ? Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington building for people living with addiction and mental health challenges. The location at 31 Lyons Street opened in 2011 and contains 46 units.
• The governments of Canada and Ontario jointly contributed over $2.7 million to 35 Lyons Street through the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) agreement.

Quotes:

"Through investments in affordable housing, our Government is providing assistance to those who need it most here in the City of Kingston and the Thousand Islands region and in all corners of the country. We are committed to making communities stronger through projects like these. These investments help create new jobs and stimulate the local economy, while providing access to safe, affordable homes for Canadian seniors, families and individuals." ? Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands

"Our government is helping people in Kingston and the Thousand Islands region have a safe and affordable place to call home. Not only does it help individual families thrive, it strengthens our entire community." ? Sophie Kiwala, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands

"I'm pleased to learn that the Government of Ontario and Government of Canada are announcing funds for 23 units in Kingston designated for supportive housing for individuals experiencing addiction and mental health challenges. A key priority for Kingston City Council is to advance affordable housing to meet the diverse and evolving housing needs in our community. I'm glad we can work together to move these housing initiatives forward and ensure everyone in the community has access to affordable housing." ? Bryan Paterson, Mayor of the City of Kingston

"Housing security is an essential part of ensuring people living with mental health and addiction issues achieve and maintain recovery; in particular supportive housing. This new affordable housing initiative will ensure those most in need have a place to call home. This is as much about creating community as it is building badly needed affordable housing. AMHS-KFLA is grateful to the Provincial and Federal government as well as the City of Kingston for assisting with the funding for this project." - Don Seymour, Chief Executive Officer, Addiction & Mental Health Services ? Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington

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 is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. 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

New affordable rental housing projects in Kingston and the Thousand Islands region

Ten projects will provide affordable housing for individuals and families in Kingston and the Thousand Islands region.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation