Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia Sign 10-Year Housing Agreement

WINDSOR, NS, Aug. 20, 2019 /CNW/ - Families, Indigenous communities and vulnerable Canadians in need of an affordable place to call home can count on long-term funding for community housing in Nova Scotia thanks to an agreement signed today by the federal and provincial governments.

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Chuck Porter, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for Nova Scotia, today announced they have reached a bilateral agreement under the National Housing Strategy (NHS). This agreement, which will be cost-shared ?by the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, demonstrates a joint commitment to prioritize affordable housing.

The 10-year agreement will invest almost $394.2 million to protect, renew and expand social and community housing, and support Nova Scotia's priorities related to housing repair, construction, and affordability. The governments of Canada and Nova Scotia will also work together on the design and implementation of a new Canada Housing Benefit for the province, to provide affordability support directly to families and individuals in housing need. The new agreement marks the beginning of a partnership that will be supported by long-term and predictable funding starting immediately.

This is a ?progressive housing agreement that commits the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia to new and higher standards of transparency, public engagement, and housing quality, including improved energy efficiency and accessibility. The agreement also acknowledges the importance of prioritizing people most in need, incorporating a human rights-based approach to housing, and applying a gender lens to all investments.

Quotes:

"The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. As Minister of Rural Economic Development, I've heard the impacts on a community's health and sustainability from insufficient and unaffordable housing. That's why we have taken a significant step toward our goal of building strong communities where Canadian families can prosper and thrive, now and for the future." ? The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development

"We are committed to continue to address the specific housing needs for Nova Scotians. Everyone deserves a safe, suitable and affordable place to call home. I am proud that our governments are coming together on this joint funding agreement. We will now work with CMHC to finalize the first three-year action plan that will advance our provincial housing priorities, providing more affordable and accessible housing options to those who depend on it, especially for our most vulnerable citizens." ? The Honourable Chuck Porter, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Quick facts:

• The almost $394.2 million? investment includes almost $197.1 million from the Government of Canada and almost $197.1 million from the Government of Nova Scotia.
• These investments are in addition to almost $290.3 million previously planned federal housing investments in the Nova Scotia through the Social Housing Agreement (SHA) over the next 10 years. In addition to new construction, combined investments under the NHS bilateral agreement and the SHA will target the preservation of at least 11,615 existing community housing units in Nova Scotia.
• The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious 10-year, $55 billion plan that will create 125,000 new housing units, repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent, with the target of removing 530,000 families from housing need.
• The NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
• All NHS investments delivered by the federal, provincial and territorial governments will respect the key principles of the NHS that support partnerships, people and communities.
• The Government of Nova Scotia will develop and publish three-year action plans, beginning in 2019-2020, setting targets and outlining how it will use federal and cost-matched funding to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Since November 2015 through to December 2018, the federal government has invested almost $226.22 million, and committed $1.45 million in housing in Nova Scotia.

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. 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, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation