Governments of Canada and Quebec Invest in Affordable Housing in Sainte-Perpetue

SAINTE-PERPÉTUE, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - Dec. 16, 2013) - As a result of the joint investments of the governments of Canada and Quebec and their local partners, semi-independent seniors now have access to 20 new affordable housing units adapted to their needs.

The official opening of the Abri des Appalaches, the construction of which required total investments of nearly $3.2 million, was marked today by Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), and by Sylvain Gaudreault, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ). The ceremony took place in the presence of Céline Avoine, Mayor of Sainte-Perpétue, Charles Larochelle, Chief Executive Officer of the SHQ, and numerous local partners.

The Government of Canada, through Canada's Economic Action Plan, and the Government of Quebec, under the AccèsLogis Québec program of the SHQ, jointly invested close to $1.4 million for the development of this project. The community, for its part, contributed a total of nearly $561,000, including $350,000 from the Municipality of Sainte-Perpétue.

"Our government is dedicated to helping those in need. These new units are more than just safe and affordable places to live. They are the key to a better life for the seniors who will call them home. We remain focused on four priorities, as outlined by the Prime Minister, that Canadians care most about: their families, the safety of our streets and communities, their pride in being citizens of this country, and of course, their personal financial security," said Parliamentary Secretary Jacques Gourde.

"The Côte-du-Sud sector is a beautiful area to which the residents are attached. However, we know that many of them, particularly seniors, are forced to leave, as they cannot find dwellings adapted to their needs. Fortunately, these 20 units are allowing elders from Sainte-Perpétue and the vicinity to remain in surroundings they know and love and to live in a quiet and safe environment," said Minister Gaudreault.

More than $344,000 in additional financial assistance over five years, assumed by the SHQ (90 per cent) and the Municipality (10 per cent), currently enables all the tenants of the Abri des Appalaches to benefit from the Rent Supplement program, ensuring that they will pay only 25 per cent of their income on housing and thereby helping to increase their buying power for other necessities.

The Abri des Appalaches also received a grant of close to $39,000 from the Bureau de l'efficacité et de l'innovation énergétiques of the Ministère des Ressources naturelles so that the building would meet the Novoclimat standard, ensuring that tenants would enjoy comfortable units and significant savings on heating costs.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest approximately $2 billion in housing this year. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of almost 594,000 households living in social housing. In Quebec, this represents some 127,150 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.

Société d'habitation du Québec

The SHQ's mission is to facilitate citizens' access to appropriate housing conditions. Housing constitutes a structured response to numerous challenges and needs of Quebec society. Whether by helping to preserve the health of families and seniors, by addressing poverty, social exclusion and homelessness or by revitalizing neighbourhoods and regions, the Société d'habitation du Québec contributes to improving the quality of life of 230,000 households each year. The SHQ also supports job creation and the economic development of all regions of Quebec.

For more information on the programs and services offered by the SHQ, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html. You may also visit Espace Habitat, a Web magazine (in French only) that features, among other things, the benefits of the SHQ's initiatives on all of Quebec society.