KITCHENER, ON, Aug. 1, 2024
/CNW/ - Today, the federal government announced more than
$96 million in contributions and
low-cost loans through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to help
build and repair 7,685 affordable homes in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge.
The announcement was made by the Honourable Jenna Sudds,
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Member of
Parliament for Kanata—Carleton, on behalf of the Honourable Sean
Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities,
alongside Valerie Bradford, Member
of Parliament for Kitchener South—Hespeler, Bardish Chagger, Member
of Parliament for Waterloo, Tim
Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener—Conestoga, Bryan
May, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, Berry
Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, and Colleen
James, Regional Councillor, Chair, Sustainability,
Infrastructure & Development, Region of Waterloo.
It took place at 82 Wilson Avenue, Kitchener, an affordable housing project that
received $2.4 million to build 48
homes and will be operated by the Regional Municipality of
Waterloo. The building is energy
efficient and universally designed, offering units to low-income
households from the Region`s social housing waitlist.
A detailed list of projects that received funding is provided in
an appendix to this release.
Quotes:
"Everyone deserves a place to call their own and the Affordable
Housing Fund is one way we're helping make that a reality for
Canadians. We will keep investing in affordable housing projects
like the ones announced today, and working with partners across the
country, to end the housing crisis." – The Honourable Sean
Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and
Communities
"Communities across the country, including right here in
Kitchener, need access to more
affordable housing so that families have somewhere to put down
roots and grow. The City of
Kitchener has done great work in achieving its housing
targets, and we will keep supporting projects in this region the
which will build on that success so everyone has a safe and
affordable place to call home." – The Honourable
Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social
Development
"I am very pleased to have been part of today's announcement,
which will help ensure more than 7,600 families have an affordable
place to call home. These kinds of investments are critical to
building a vibrant local community, and we will continue to work to
ensure every generation has a fair chance to own a home." –
Valerie Bradford, Member of
Parliament for Kitchener South—Hespeler
"This is a great example of how we can work across different
orders of government so that people in Kitchener and across Waterloo Region can have
access to stable, secure and affordable housing. The City of Kitchener is proud to partner with the
Federal government and Region of Waterloo to support these and other affordable
housing projects with more than $2
million in waived fees and development charges that is
helping to make a real difference for the people who call
Kitchener home." –
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of
Kitchener
"As our community continues to grow, access to affordable
housing is one of the most pressing issues we are facing in
Waterloo Region today. With the generous support of our federal
partners, we are building more affordable homes, faster. I am
thrilled that the 48 units at 82 Wilson Avenue will provide a range
of affordable homes for seniors in our community." – Regional
Chair of the Waterloo Region, Karen
Redman
Quick facts:
- The federal funding announced today is helping create a total
of 336 new homes and is leading to the repairs of 7,349 homes.
- The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provides funding
through low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to
help build new affordable homes and renovate and repair existing,
affordable and community housing.
- Through the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, the government
announced an additional $1 billion
for the Affordable Housing Fund, bringing the total funding to over
$14 billion. To further support
non-profit, co-operative, and public housing providers and respond
to the needs of those most impacted by the housing crisis, Budget
2024 committed an additional $1
billion to the fund.
- This program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) 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.
- As of March 2024, the federal
government has committed $50.97
billion through the NHS to support the creation of over
146,000 units and the repair of over 286,000 units.
- To support the Government's work to grow housing supply and
address the need for more affordable and rental homes, CMHC is
implementing the Frequent Builder framework.
- The Frequent Builder framework will help expedite applications
for the Affordable Housing Fund and the Apartment Construction Loan
Program. The Frequent Builder status is given to existing
housing providers with a proven track record of building
multi-residential units. Different criteria apply to Governments,
non-profit and for-profit organizations to qualify for Frequent
Builder status.
- Frequent Builders may receive benefits such as priority
treatment, a streamlined process through intake, underwriting and
approval stages, underwriting and advancing flexibilities, as well
as the possibility of funding commitments for future years which
will allow funding predictability and better planning for their
pipeline of projects.
Additional Information:
- Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of
Canada housing information.
- 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 everyone in Canada has a
home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more
information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and
Facebook.
- To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please
visit www.placetocallhome.ca.
Appendix: Projects receiving funding under AHF
Project
Name
|
Region/City
|
Funding
|
Units
|
82 Wilson
Avenue
|
Kitchener
|
$2,400,000.00
|
48
|
Kitchener Housing Inc.
Repairs
|
Kitchener
|
$1,000,000.00
|
500
|
Site Water Pipe
Replacement, New Generation Co-op
|
Kitchener
|
$267,110.00
|
30
|
Beaver Creek Housing
Co-operative
|
Waterloo
|
$750,000.00
|
50
|
ShelterCare
|
Waterloo
|
$2,444,705.00
|
100
|
Region of Waterloo
Portfolio repairs
|
Waterloo
|
$12,051,016.00
|
1205
|
St. Mark's
Place
|
Kitchener
|
$2,174,862.00
|
43
|
Sheldon Supportive
Housing
|
Kitchener
|
$1,826,121.00
|
25
|
Guelph Non-Profit
Housing Corporation Repairs
|
Guelph
|
$5,450,000.00
|
545
|
County of Wellington
Repairs
|
County of
Wellington
|
$12,000,000.00
|
1200
|
Home Concept Property
Management Repairs
|
Cambridge
|
$1,252,400.00
|
250
|
Corporation of the City
of Brantford Housing Stock Repairs
|
Brantford
|
$6,000,000.00
|
600
|
County of Oxford
Repairs
|
Woodstock
|
$3,222,743.00
|
368
|
Norfolk County
Repairs
|
Norfolk
County
|
$2,372,314.00
|
238
|
544 Bridgeport Road
East
|
Kitchener
|
$830,436.00
|
48
|
Bruce County Housing
Corporation Repairs
|
Hanover
|
$1,834,560.00
|
392
|
Perth & Stratford
Housing Corporation Repairs
|
Stratford
|
$2,500,000.00
|
663
|
The Corporation of the
County of Dufferin Repairs and Renovations
|
Orangeville
|
$2,000,000.00
|
321
|
Grey County
Repairs
|
Owen Sound
|
$3,521,070.00
|
987
|
14th Street Supportive
Housing Project
|
Owen Sound
|
$600,000.00
|
12
|
Odawa Heights
Apartment
|
Owen Sound
|
$2,888,902.00
|
60
|
TOTAL
|
|
$96,054,789
|
7,685
|
SOURCE Government of Canada