OVER SIXTY NEW RENTAL UNITS FOR SENIORS COMING TO NANAIMO

NANAIMO, BC, Jan. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, Sheila Malcolmson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nanaimo, Harwinder Sandhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors' Services and Kerry Howell, President, Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society announced today $9.3 million in federal and provincial capital funding for construction of 62 new rental units for moderate and low-income seniors in Nanaimo. Construction at Sunfield Manor is currently underway.

The five-storey building, located at 1125 Seafield Crescent, will be operated by the Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society. The building will feature 58 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom homes, most with their own patio or deck. Located close to the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, parks, grocery stores, and accessible by public transit, Sunfield Manor will also feature shared amenity space and a mobility scooter storage area for residents. Twelve of the units are fully accessible with the remaining being adaptable.

Both the site and the building design will foster social integration and cohesion with a common kitchen, gardens and community room. Once complete, tenants move to the new building from the existing 30-unit building, which will then be demolished. There will be no change in rent unless a tenant's income or household size has changed.

Of the 62 units, all are below market rent, with 20 percent at shelter rates, 30 percent are low-end-of-market units, and 50 percent are rent geared to income. Tenants are expected to start moving into their new homes in summer 2023.

Funding provided for this project is as follows:

• Approximately $2.7 million from the federal government through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF)
• $6.6 million from the Province of British Columbia through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund and ongoing annual operating funding
• $200,000 in capital funding and $1.2 million in land equity from Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society
• $189,000 in development fees waived by the City of Nanaimo

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Our government remains committed to supporting seniors in Nanaimo and throughout the country, which is why we are investing in projects like Sunfield Manor. Initiatives like this one provide safe, affordable and accessible housing options to seniors in their communities, allowing them to maintain their independence and well-being. This is our government's National Housing Strategy in action." ? The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

"This investment from the Government of Canada's National Housing Co-investment Fund is improving the economic and social well-being of the seniors who will soon call Sunfield Manor their home and is making Nanaimo a better place to live. When people have a secure and stable home to age in place, they gain the confidence they need to succeed." ? Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville

 "Seniors and people living with disabilities need more affordable housing in Nanaimo. We are funding partners like the Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society, so more people can have an affordable place to call home in Nanaimo. This adds to the 651 affordable units our BC government funded for Nanaimo already, with hundreds more to come." ? Sheila Malcolmson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nanaimo

"New housing projects like this provide safety, security and peace of mind for our seniors. With an aging population, it's essential that all partners come to the table to increase this kind of housing in our communities, to meet the needs of our seniors, who deserve affordable and secure housing."  ?  Harwinder Sandhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors' Services  

"This is a welcome investment in housing for our valued senior citizens, providing safe places to live that low-income seniors can afford is simply the right thing to do. I am grateful for the hard work of the Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society and for the support from the federal and provincial governments that have made this project possible." ? Leonard Krog, Mayor of Nanaimo

"Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society is excited to grow our organization so we can provide more affordable homes to seniors and people with disabilities at a time when there is so much need. We appreciate the ongoing support and collaboration with BC Housing and our other partners who have made this project a reality." ? Kerry Howell, President, Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society

• The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a $13.2 billion 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 with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
• 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.
• Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $72-plus billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
• 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 NHS that support partnerships, people, and communities.
• The Community Housing Fund is an investment of $1.9 billion to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes over 10 years for moderate- and low-income families and individuals.
• More than 9,000 of these homes are already open, under construction or in development across the province.

• 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.
• A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC.
• 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/.

SOURCE Government of Canada