Governments of Canada and Quebec Invest in Affordable Housing in Caplan

CAPLAN, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - July 17, 2012) - The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Member of Parliament for Lévis-Bellechasse, 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 Damien Arsenault, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Bonaventure, on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy and Minister Responsible for the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), are pleased to mark the official opening of a community housing project for families. The construction of this residence required a total investment of more than $1.4 million, of which nearly $773,000 was provided by the governments of Canada and Quebec.

In addition to the Government of Canada, through the Affordable Housing Initiative Program Extension Agreement, and the Government of Quebec, under the AccèsLogis Québec program of the SHQ, community partners contributed nearly $392,000 to the project, including over $307,000 from the Municipality of Caplan. It should also be noted that the SHQ has secured the mortgage loan taken out by the organization to complete the financing of the project.

"Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, our government is taking action to help ensure our economic recovery and create the conditions for long-term growth. Funding projects like that of the OMH de Caplan will not only improve the housing conditions for families in Caplan but also help stimulate the local economy and create jobs," said Minister Blaney.

"The development of this residence is excellent news for families in Caplan who can benefit from affordable housing that meets their needs and a pleasant and stimulating living environment. Our government could only support such a project, which demonstrates that we have made the right choice in investing considerable sums in the construction of affordable housing in the Gaspésie region and across Quebec," said MNA Damien Arsenault, in the presence of Doris Boissonnault, Mayor of Caplan, Eugène Rivière, President of the Office municipal d'habitation (OMH) de Caplan, and local partners.

It should be specified that five of the tenants of the residence can benefit from the Rent Supplement program, which provides financial assistance to low-income individuals who would otherwise have to spend more than 25 per cent of their income on housing. The rent supplements provided will represent, over a five-year period, more than $84,000 in additional financial assistance, assumed by the SHQ (90 per cent) and the Municipality of Caplan (10 per cent).

It should be noted that this project, like all projects developed under the AccèsLogis Québec program, was designed so as to obtain the Novoclimat certification. To help it meet this requirement, which well demonstrates the importance attached to improving energy efficiency by the Government of Quebec, the project received a grant of more than $29,000 from the Bureau de l'efficacité et de l'innovation énergétiques of the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune.

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 social housing. In Quebec, this represents some 129,550 households. These investments are improving the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in 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 CMHC is working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca.

In the 2012/2013 budget, the Government of Quebec announced that it intends to build an additional 3,000 housing units, bringing to 35,000 units its objective of producing new affordable housing in Quebec. This represents an additional contribution of $180 million under the AccèsLogis Québec program and the private component of the Affordable Housing Québec program, and brings to nearly $1.5 billion the total assistance provided since 2003.

Since 2003, 411 community and affordable housing units have been, or are being, developed in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region, representing total investments of over $48.6 million by the governments and their partners.

The SHQ's mission is to facilitate citizens' access to appropriate housing conditions. Each year, through its various programs, the SHQ supports more than 240,000 households across Quebec. For more information on this agency's programs and services, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html.