Governments of Canada and Quebec Invest in Affordable Housing in Montreal

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwire - April 30, 2012) - Senator Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); Pierre Arcand, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks and Member of the National Assembly for Mont-Royal, on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy and Minister responsible for the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ); and Gilles Deguire, City of Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for housing and social housing, today celebrated the official opening of the community housing project Les Fondations du Quartier, which provides 98 affordable housing units for families and for which the governments of Canada and Quebec contributed more than $7.1 million. The development of this initiative resulted from a total investment of over $14.9 million.

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, the City of Montréal contributed more than $1.8 million to the project, an amount repaid by the Montréal Metropolitan Community out of the social housing fund to which the 82 municipalities on its territory contribute, including the City of Montréal, which provides almost half of the funding. As well, $367,500 in additional financial assistance was provided in equal shares by the Government of Quebec and the City of Montréal, under the Renovation Québec program.

"The Government of Canada is providing a hand-up to those who need it most here in Montréal and in all corners of the country," said Senator Fortin-Duplessis. "We are pleased to see that the federal investments of more than $2.8 million helped to provide 98 affordable rental housing units for families here in Montréal."

"It is essential to make sure that families can stay in surroundings they love, and the achievement of this objective depends on the development of projects like the one that we are officially opening today. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Government of Quebec and its partners, 98 families now have access to quality, affordable housing and a pleasant and stimulating living environment," said Minister Pierre Arcand, in the presence of Kenny Calder, Chair of the Board of Directors of the organization Les Fondations du Quartier, and community partners.

"It's impressive to see the vibrant redevelopment of the Namur-Jean-Talon sector, where a brand new neighbourhood is coming to life day by day. When we further see that this development so brilliantly integrates the social mix objectives of our Strategy for the Inclusion of Affordable Housing, we can only be even more proud. The project that we are officially opening today illustrates this exemplary approach. Congratulations to everyone who made the project Les Fondations du Quartier such a remarkable success," said Gilles Deguire.

"The project Les Fondations du Quartier resulted from a concerted approach between one of the developers of Le Triangle, the Côte-des-Neiges community sector, the City of Montréal and the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough team. This project is a source of pride for everyone and a key contributor to the social mix of this new living environment. Thanks to everyone who worked on the development of this project," added Michael Applebaum, Chair of the City of Montréal Executive Committee and Mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

It should be noted that 49 tenants of the project 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 $824,000 in additional financial assistance, including over $741,000 from the SHQ and some $82,000 from the City of Montréal.

The Government of Quebec and the SHQ are giving particular attention to energy efficiency, which is why all projects developed under the AccèsLogis Québec program must be designed so as to obtain the Novoclimat certification.

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 615,000 households living in social housing. In Quebec, this represents some 132,750 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, 12,829 community and affordable housing units have been, or are being, developed in the city of Montréal, including 572 in the riding of Mont-Royal, representing total investments of over $1.7 billion 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.