Governments of Canada and New Brunswick Celebrate Renovated Transition House in Edmundston

EDMUNDSTON, NEW BRUNSWICK--(Marketwired - July 31, 2014) - L'Escale Madavic Inc., a newly renovated transition house for women who may be victims of family violence, was officially opened today in Edmundston.

The Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and Member of Parliament for Madawaska-Restigouche, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), along with the Honourable David Alward, Premier of New Brunswick, made the announcement.

"Our Government recognizes the urgent need to provide victims of family violence with a safe place during crisis situation," said Minister Valcourt. "By investing in l'Escale Madavic we are also following through on our commitment to offer safe and affordable housing for all Canadians."

"For women trying to escape a situation of family violence, living with dignity and in security means finding a nurturing environment free of abuse for themselves and their children," said Premier Alward. "For many years, l'Escale Madavic has been assisting individuals begin the journey to a new life free of violence."

The 15-bed transition house received a combined investment of $300,000 from both the federal and provincial governments under the Shelter Enhancement Program. This program offers financial assistance to repair and renovate shelters and to acquire or build new shelters and second-stage housing, for women and children who are victims of family violence. The proponent for this transition house is l'Escale Madavic Inc. The organization purchased and renovated an older building and added five new beds to better serve victims of violence.

Funding for this project was made available as a result of a joint investment under the 2011-2014 Investment in Affordable Housing program and the 2009 Investment in Affordable Housing Extension program.

Minister Valcourt also announced additional Government of Canada funding of $152,854 to l'Escale Madavic through Status of Women Canada. This funding will support a project to help prevent sexual violence against women by enhancing collaboration between community agencies and service providers in northwestern New Brunswick. This project is being supported through a Call for Proposals entitled Cyber and Sexual Violence: Helping Communities Respond.

Annually, the Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), will invest approximately $2 billion in housing. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of close to 600,000 households living in existing social housing. In New Brunswick, this represents an estimated 14,250 households. The remaining funding supports housing-related activities and affordable housing programs, including the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH). 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. Economic Action Plan 2013 continued this commitment with a federal investment of more than $1.25 billion over five years to renew the Investment in Affordable Housing to 2019. From April 2011 to March 2014, the IAH has already helped more than 183,600 households nationally, and more than 5,195 in New Brunswick.

These new affordable housing units are part of the New Brunswick Government's strategy to rebuild New Brunswick together and enhance the quality of life of its residents. The investments made by the provincial government are helping to build and strengthen communities in New Brunswick by providing quality, affordable housing options for low-income individuals, families and seniors. For more information on affordable housing projects in New Brunswick, visit www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/social_development/housing.html.

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.