Affordable, Supportive Housing Project Opens in Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 13, 2017) - The Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, along with community partners, celebrated the opening of eight units of affordable housing in Whitney Pier today. The project, operated by Share, Support and Recovery Inc., provides affordable rental housing with support services to individuals with complex needs in the community.

The Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, 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 Derek Mombourquette, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Sydney-Whitney Pier, on behalf of the Honourable Joanne Bernard, Nova Scotia Minister of Community Services and Minister responsible for Housing Nova Scotia, made the announcement today.

Quick facts:

• Share, Support and Recovery Inc. is a community organization formed in 2012 through a partnership between the Nova Scotia Health Authority, New Dawn Enterprises and the Sydney Credit Union Charitable Foundation. An important part of their mission is to provide housing and support services to address the needs of individuals living with complex health and social challenges.
  
  
• The project consists of eight new one-bedroom units, designed to increase the independence and recovery of low-income individuals who are living with mental illness or addiction.
  
  
• The federal and provincial governments, through CMHC and Housing Nova Scotia, contributed $200,000 from the Affordable Housing New Rental Program, funded through the Investment in Affordable Housing (2014-2019) Agreement. Additional financial contributions include $400,000 from the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation and $200,000 from the Government of Canada's Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). Housing Nova Scotia also donated a parcel of land for the project. 
  
  
• Since the launch of HPS, nearly 35,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless have benefitted from education and training opportunities; over 34,000 have received help to find work; more than 6,000 new shelter beds have been created; and over 82,000 people received support in finding stable housing.

Quotes:

"The Government of Canada is proud to support the construction of eight affordable housing units in Whitney Pier that will help prevent and reduce homelessness in Nova Scotia. Every segment of our society must be treated with dignity and respect and be given the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. Our government is committed to making communities stronger through projects like this one."- Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria

"One of the greatest needs for people living or recovering from mental illness or addictions is for safe, affordable housing. These new affordable homes serve as the foundation to help these individuals get the health care and community-based support they need, while encouraging their independence." - Derek Mombourquette, MLA for Sydney-Whitney Pier

"The generosity of Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation donors has enabled us to provide more than $2,000,000 in funding for mental health services, including financial contributions for this SHIMI project. We are incredibly proud to continue supporting such a worthwhile initiative for Cape Bretoners."- Brad Jacobs, CEO, Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation

"We know from the experiences of our clients, as well as from research, that access to safe, affordable, supported housing is a key determinant of mental health. By providing this access to individuals living with a severe mental illness, we have contributed to their ability to recover and to participate more meaningfully as citizens in their communities."- Dr. Linda Courey, Senior Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health Authority

"The contributions we're highlighting today from the Provincial and Federal Governments, along with the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, bolster our organization's mission. Continued support for the Supported Housing for Individuals with Mental Illness (SHIMI) initiative from all levels of government and our partners shows a commitment to our vision as an organization and validates the hard work of our tremendous staff and fellow Board members." - Steve Lilley, Chair of the Board, Share, Support and Recovery Inc.

Associated links:

• CMHC has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. 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 Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of CMHC's operations. For more information, please call 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca.

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