Governments of Canada and Ontario invest in affordable housing for Owen Sound

OWEN SOUND, ON, Jan. 17, 2020 /CNW/ - More families, individuals and seniors will now have a place to call home as the governments of Canada and Ontario invest over $9.6 million to create 71 affordable housing units in Owen Sound.

Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York along with Bill Walker, Member of Provincial Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound made the announcement today.

Odawa Heights is a multi-phased townhome and apartment project, which includes accessible features and access to a community space. The first two phases include 28 affordable housing units in a 36-unit development. Residents moved into their new homes in 2018 and 2019. The governments of Canada and Ontario invested $3.4M in this part of the development, through the Canada-Ontario Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) agreement. 

The upcoming third phase will begin construction in Spring 2020 and consists of 54 new homes, 43 of which will be affordable housing. The governments of Canada and Ontario invested nearly $6.2 million for this part of the development through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative and the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative.

Quotes:

"Our Government is investing in affordable housing here in Owen Sound and across Canada to help create jobs and improve the quality of life for those who need it most. With our partners, we are providing a helping hand for individuals and families in need, and in doing so, we are contributing to the economic and social well-being of the entire community." ? Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York

"Our government knows how important it is for the people of Ontario to have housing that meets their needs. I'm pleased this funding will help Odawa Heights provide quality, innovative and affordable homes in Owen Sound to serve the people of our area and we are pleased to partner with the federal government to deliver on provincial priorities ? including projects that expand housing options for people in Ontario." ? Bill Walker, Member of Provincial Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound

"Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home and Grey County is excited to see more affordable homes coming to Owen Sound with the Province's commitment to Odawa Heights. The Owen Sound Housing Company has done a tremendous job supporting our community with this incredibly valuable project. Thank you to everyone involved." ? Paul McQueen, Grey County Warden

Quick facts:

• The next residents are expected to move into the complex in November 2020.
• The rental vacancy rate for Owen Sound in 2018 was 1.7%, according to CMHC data.
• The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $55 billion plan that will create 125,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50%.
• The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.
• Ontario is investing in the community housing system that was neglected for years, investing more than $1 billion in 2019-20 to help sustain, repair and grow community housing in Ontario.
• Ontario is putting people first with our Community Housing Renewal Strategy that outlines how we will work with our partners to stabilize and grow the community housing sector. Community housing ? sometimes referred to as social and affordable housing ? is a vital community resource, providing homes to more than 250,000 families and individuals across Ontario.

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, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Finding housing that is affordable in Ontario has become incredibly difficult. Ontario is taking steps to help people find housing they can afford. Cutting red tape will lead to lower housing costs and help people keep more of their hard-earned dollars. For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on Twitter.

Learn about Ontario's strategy to sustain, repair and grow our community housing system.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation