Construction of New Affordable Housing Project Underway in Regina

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - Dec. 19, 2016) - The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with the City of Regina and Halifax Holdings West Inc., officially broke ground to begin construction of a 45-unit affordable rental housing project for individuals with complex needs.

The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Honourable Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), His Worship Michael Fougere, Mayor of the City of Regina, and Stephen Onda, President of Halifax Holdings West Inc., made the announcement today.

Quick facts:

• The project consists of the construction of a 45-unit apartment building at 1920 Halifax Street in Regina. All units in the building are approximately 350 square feet (32.5 square metres). All 45 units qualify as affordable and will rent below market rates.
• The Federal and Provincial Governments, through CMHC and SHC, are jointly contributing about $2 million towards 20 of the 45 units under the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) 2014-2019 Agreement.
• Approximately $3.5 million in funding will be provided by Halifax Holdings West Inc. in the form of cash/land equity and mortgage financing.
• The City of Regina is also contributing $705,000 towards the project.
• Clients will benefit from YWCA support services provided in an independent living environment. Services will include mental health, domestic violence, and addiction supports.
• This project is aligned with a number of strategic priorities outlined in the Province's Housing Strategy, the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan and the Disability Strategy. These priorities include the need to improve housing affordability, increase community capacity to support people living with mental health and addictions issues, and to increase accessibility and inclusive environments.

Quotes:

"Our Government is pleased to be involved in the creation of new affordable housing that helps people live independently in Regina. Residents will also have access to support and services that meets their needs." - Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

"We continue to focus on housing for people experiencing disability and those who are "hard-to-house". This project is another tangible example of how we are working with our partners to put this goal into action. Most importantly, the individuals who will call these units home will have a safe place to live with the supports they need as they work towards independence and a brighter future."

- Honourable Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation

"We know that there are some gaps in our city's housing picture. Providing targeted funding to housing projects that are affordable and offer service provision to people in need is a strong investment of taxpayer dollars where they are needed most." His Worship Michael Fougere, Mayor, City of Regina

"We are proud to work with the dedicated individuals and organizations that helped bring this project to reality. When developing this project, we looked to public and private resources, as well as input from community-based organizations for the design and best use of the facility. The YWCA played a leadership role advising as to potential resident needs. Projects like this one are accomplished with a joint effort to address housing needs." - Stephen Onda, President, Halifax Holdings West Inc.

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• CMHC has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. 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 Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of CMHC's operations. For more information, please call 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca or follow CMHC on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or Facebook.
  
  
• In October 2012, the Government of Saskatchewan released the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth: Vision 2020 and Beyond, which sets out the Government's vision for a province of 1.2 million people by 2020. The Plan identifies principles, goals and actions to ensure Saskatchewan is capturing the opportunities and meeting the challenges of a growing province. Since 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested over $727 million to develop or repair more than 15,300 housing units across our province.