Governments of Canada and New Brunswick Celebrate New Affordable Housing in Saint John

SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK--(Marketwire - July 11, 2012) - The Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick celebrated the official opening of a new affordable housing project for low-income individuals, families and persons with disabilities in Saint John.

Rodney Weston, Member of Parliament for Saint John, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); and the Honourable Sue Stultz, New Brunswick Minister of Social Development and Minister Responsible for Housing, made the announcement today.

"The Harper Government is proud to contribute $480,000 in funding for this project," said MP Weston. "These twelve new units will provide quality, affordable housing and benefit the economic and social well-being of the entire community."

"Investing in affordable housing is fundamental to rebuilding New Brunswick together," said Stultz. "I am pleased to celebrate this project, which shows our government's commitment to enhancing the quality of life of New Brunswickers and their families, while living within our means."

Jenny's Spring Housing Co-operative Ltd., a new 12-unit development located at 11 Second Street in Saint John, will receive $480,000 in federal funding toward construction costs, as well as $971,655 in rent supplements from the Province of New Brunswick. The developer, Jenny's Spring Housing Co-operative Ltd., will include two units for persons with disabilities in the housing development.

Funding for this project was made available as a result of a joint investment under the 2009 extension of the Canada - New Brunswick Affordable Housing Initiative.

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest more than $2 billion in housing this year. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of almost 605,000 households living in existing social housing. In New Brunswick, this represents some 16,300 households. These investments are improving the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in existing social housing, including individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and Aboriginal people.

To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca.