Canada and Ontario support affordable housing project in Kitchener

KITCHENER, ON, Sept. 7, 2023 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario are providing over $1.4 million to support the creation of 43 new affordable housing units in Kitchener by converting the former St. Mark's Lutheran Church into new supportive housing for lower-income households.

This investment was made possible thanks to the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI); an initiative of the Canada-Ontario Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy.

Now known as St. Mark's Place, this project is located at 825 King Street West and includes 24 one-bedroom units and 19 studios. Amenities in this new facility include a laundry room, a tenant common room, a community kitchen, gathering areas, and a multi-use community space. This supportive housing project is serving tenants with higher acuity needs who were previously experiencing homelessness, therefore health services and addictions support will also be available on site.

Construction of the project is expected to be completed by Fall 2023.

"St. Mark's Place helps create more safe and affordable housing in the Kitchener community. By contributing to projects like this one, our government is helping Canadians get the support they need to build a home and a life in their community." ? The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"Affordable housing is a fundamental building block of thriving communities. The St. Mark's Place project advances our commitment to provide affordable housing to people in Kitchener. The federal government's contribution opens the door to more sustainable housing for our neighbours who need more support. This is the National Housing Strategy at work." ?  Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga

"I'm proud to begin this next chapter as Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Our government's policies have delivered historic results in getting more homes built faster and addressing homelessness. Increasing community, affordable, and supportive housing is a critical component of our commitment to build at least 1.5 million new homes by 2031, which will help all Ontarians, especially our most vulnerable, find a home that meets their needs and budget." ?  The Honourable Paul Calandra, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

"I'm honoured to be taking on the role of Ontario's Associate Minister of Housing and supporting life-changing initiatives like this one by creating 43 sustainable, supportive housing units in Kitchener. Helping people find a home that meets their needs and budget is a top priority for our government." ? Rob Flack, Ontario's Associate Minister of Housing

"The St. Mark's Place development by Indwell, was the last project announcement made before the initial COVID-19 lockdown. Today's announcement demonstrates Canada and Ontario's ongoing recovery efforts and is an excellent example of what can happen when all orders of government and community partners work together in an effort to end homelessness and create truly affordable and supportive housing. I would like to thank the provincial and federal governments for their continued investments in our community and their ongoing commitment to creating affordable housing in Kitchener." ? Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener

"St. Mark's Place is a wonderful example of our community working together to solve a common goal and expand affordable housing. Thank you to Indwell, government and local partners for making this project possible." ?  Karen Redman, Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo

"The support of all levels of governments is critical to creating new supportive housing like St Mark's Place here in Kitchener, but also across the province and country. We're thankful for each of the 43 individuals who are looking forward to finding a supportive home here, and for each staff member and each partner who will wrap support and services around them to create a community and help each one make St. Mark's Place their permanent home." ?  Jeff Neven, CEO, Indwell

• The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $82+ billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.
• The Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) is a program under the CMHC-Ontario Bilateral Agreement. This 10-year agreement provides more than $5.75 billion to protect, renew and expand community housing; support Ontario's priorities related to housing repair, construction, and affordability; and deliver direct affordability support to Ontarians who need housing. OPHI provides flexible funding to address local housing priorities and improve access to affordable housing options. The initiative helps to increase the affordable housing supply and improve the state of repair of community housing stock.

• Visit canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.
• 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. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
• To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.
• Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see the affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada.
• Ontario's most recent housing supply action plan ? Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants ? is the latest in a series of steps taken by the province to help more people find a home they can afford.
• Ontario is committed to addressing the housing crisis and has set an ambitious goal of building at least 1.5 million new homes by 2031 and is committing to advancing its housing supply action plan, every year for four years, to help address new challenges, meet unique needs, and adapt to the current environment and future outlook.
• For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation