Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Housing in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 14, 2012) - The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the Town of Halton Hills celebrated the official opening of the Residences at St. Andrews, a 53-unit rental development, which provides 44-units of affordable housing. The project is supported by more than $3 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.

The Honourable Michael Chong, Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills, 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 Liz Sandals, Member of Provincial Parliament for Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; along with Gary Carr, Halton Regional Chair; and Rick Bonnette, Mayor of Halton Hills, made the announcement.

"Our Government is committed to giving a hand-up to those who need it most here in Georgetown," said MP Chong. "That's why we are proud to have invested in the construction of Residences at St. Andrews, which will go a long way to providing safe, affordable homes for years to come for seniors and persons with special needs."

"Our government is committed to improving the accessibility of affordable housing for people in-need across Ontario," said MPP Liz Sandals. "The Residences at St. Andrews is another example of our government's commitment to affordable housing. I know this project will make a difference in the lives of its residents and improve the well-being of the local community."

"Affordable housing is an important part of a healthy community," said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. "Halton Region is working with other levels of government and community partners to find innovative solutions to housing challenges. The Residences at St. Andrew's is a great example of what can be achieved when we all work together towards a common goal."

The 44 units located at 220 Sinclair Avenue received more than $3 million through a joint investment under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. The federal and provincial funding is complemented by more than $1.17 million in municipal financial incentives. The project is located on lands donated by St. Andrew's United Church in Georgetown. The development will provide transitional affordable housing to seniors and to women and their children.

"The land for this project, valued at $1.27 million, was generously provided by St. Andrew's United Church," said Wayne Barrett, Vice Chair, Residences at St. Andrew's Georgetown Corporation and member of St. Andrew's United Church. "We are especially grateful to St. Andrew's United Church for their ongoing support in making this new residence a reality. We are very excited to have the Residences at St. Andrews serve the Georgetown community."

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 Ontario, this represents some 237,750 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.

Ontario continues to build new affordable housing and repair existing units for Ontarians with housing needs. Since 2009, the provincial government has provided nearly $183 million to build new rental housing units for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. Ontario's overall investment of over $2.5 billion has translated into the construction and repair of more than 270,000 housing units and the provision of 35,000 rent supplements for Ontario families on fixed incomes. The province's Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy sets a strong foundation for a more efficient, accessible affordable housing system in Ontario.

Affordable housing is a key component of Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy. Download a copy of the Government of Ontario's Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy. To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.ontario.ca/housing.

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.ca.

For more information visit:

www.cmhc.ca

www.ontario.ca/housing

www.halton.ca