CANADA AND BC CREATE 55 NEW HOMES FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN PRINCE GEORGE

PRINCE GEORGE, BC , July 14, 2022 /CNW/ - Everyone deserves a safe and affordable home. Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Grace Lore, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, Mayor Lyn Hall, City of Prince George, and the Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society, announced nearly $17.3 million in funding for My Sister's Place, bringing 55 new homes for women and children fleeing gender-based violence in Prince George.

The Government of Canada is contributing $1.85 million through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), while the province, through BC Housing, is providing approximately $13.6 million through the Building BC: Women's Transition Housing Fund and approximately $895,500 in annual operating funding. Additionally, the City of Prince George is providing $1 million in municipal equity through offsite servicing upgrades.

The new development consists of an 18-bed transition house, 16 units of second stage housing and 21 affordable rental townhomes in four buildings. The transition and second stage housing are located in one standalone building, with the townhomes spread throughout the remaining three buildings.

Both the transition and second-stage housing provide short-term accommodation with on-site supports for women, including transgender women, non-binary and Two-Spirit people, and their dependent children leaving violence. Transition house guests normally stay for 30 days, while second-stage housing residents typically live in the units for 6-18 months before moving to more permanent housing.

The Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society will operate My Sister's Place, providing support services on site, such as crisis intervention and safety planning, to both residents and other women and children leaving violence in Prince George and the region. The development will provide women and their children the opportunity to seamlessly move from the transition house beds into the second-stage units and affordable townhomes.

"Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Our government is dedicated to helping those in need, which is why supporting projects such as My Sister's Place in Prince George is so crucial. With 55 new units of supportive housing for women and children leaving gender-based violence, this project will play a vital role in providing a safe haven and the necessary supports needed for these families to thrive. This is the National Housing Strategy at work." ? The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion 

"My Sister's Place offers a continuum of housing units and spaces where women and children leaving violent situations in the Prince George area can have a safe and secure place to live and grow. Our government has a clear responsibility to help women and children in need around the province and we will continue to work with partners to open developments like this to make sure help is always available." ? Grace Lore, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity

"The City of Prince George is proud to have partnered with BC Housing and CMHC in support of this housing development. These homes will provide much-needed safety and stability for women and children who are leaving violent situations. On behalf of Council, thank you to the Province of B.C. and the Government of Canada for funding this important project in our community." ? Mayor Lyn Hall, City of Prince George

"The Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society is extremely excited to open My Sister's Place, which will provide 55 new homes where women and their children who have experienced violence can feel safe. We are committed to providing wrap around supports to our future residents based on their unique needs as they begin the journey of rebuilding their lives." ? Shannon Smith, Executive Director, Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society and Elizabeth Fry Housing Society

• Rent for the second stage housing and townhomes will be calculated at 30% of residents' income, or the provincial shelter rate for those who are receiving income or disability assistance. Transition houses provide an immediate safe and affordable space for women to start rebuilding their lives, with no rent requirement from guests.
• This project is part of B.C.'s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the Province has funded nearly 34,000 affordable homes that are either complete or underway for people in B.C., including approximately 350 homes in Prince George.
• As with all projects for women and children leaving violence, the address of this project has not been disclosed due to safety reasons.
• The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
• With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF plans to:
• Create up to 60,000 new homes
• Repair up to 240,000 homes
• Create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence
• Create at least 7,000 new homes for seniors
• Create at least 2,400 new homes for people with developmental disabilities
• Budget 2022 proposes to advance $2.9 billion in funding under the NHCF to accelerate the creation of up to 4,300 new units and the repair of up to 17,800 units.
• The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.

• 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
• Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada.
• To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/.
• A map showing the location of all announced provincially-funded housing projects in B.C. is available online at: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation