Governments of Canada and Quebec Invest in Affordable Housing in Val-d'Or

VAL-D'OR, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Dec. 5, 2011) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture) and Member of Parliament for Mégantic-L'Érable, 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 Pierre Corbeil, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Minister responsible for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions and Member of the National Assembly for Abitibi-Est, on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, are pleased to mark the official opening of the Résidences du Plateau, a 63-unit project for semi-independent seniors and persons with intellectual disabilities, for which the governments of Canada and Quebec jointly contributed more than $4 million. The development of this regional initiative resulted from a total investment of over $9.4 million.

In addition to the Government of Canada, through Canada's Economic Action Plan, and the Government of Quebec, under the AccèsLogis Québec program of the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), the City of Val-d'Or contributed nearly $2.3 million.

"The Government of Canada is providing a hand-up to those who need it most here in Vald'Or and in all corners of the country," said Minister Paradis. "Federal investments of more than $3.7 million helped create new jobs and stimulate the local economy, while providing 63 affordable rental housing units for persons with intellectual disabilities and seniors, here in this community."

"The development of the Résidences du Plateau is a great example of what can be achieved when the community comes together, and demonstrates the importance that our government attaches to improving the living conditions of the citizens of Quebec. Congratulations to all the partners who joined the Société d'habitation du Québec to provide 63 households with quality, affordable housing that meets their needs," said Minister Pierre Corbeil, in the presence of Fernand Trahan, Mayor of Val-d'Or, Laurier Tourigny, President of the Office municipal d'habitation de Val-d'Or, and community partners.

It should be noted that the 63 tenants of the Résidences du Plateau will be able to 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 $1 million in additional financial assistance, including over $950,000 from the SHQ and some $100,000 from the City of Val-d'Or.

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.

Canada's Economic Action Plan provided $475 million, over two years, to build new rental housing for low-income seniors and persons with intellectual disabilities. Overall, Canada's Economic Action Plan included $2 billion for new and existing social housing, plus $2 billion in low-cost loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.

Canada's Economic Action Plan builds on the Government of Canada's commitment in 2008 of more than $1.9 billion, over five years, to improve and build new affordable housing and help the homeless. For Quebec, these combined contributions mean a joint investment of more than $820 million, which includes $538 million for Canada's Economic Action Plan.

More information on this and other measures in Canada's Economic Action Plan, the federal government's plan to stimulate the economy and protect those hit hardest by the global recession, can be found at www.actionplan.gc.ca. 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/housingactionplan.

In the 2011/2012 budget, the Government of Quebec announced that it intends to build an additional 2,000 community housing units, bringing to 32,000 units its objective of producing new affordable housing in Quebec. This represents an additional contribution of $140 million under the AccèsLogis Québec program, and brings to more than $1.4 billion the total assistance provided since 2003.

Since 2003, over 260 community and affordable housing units have been, or are being, developed in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, including 101 in the riding of Abitibi-Est, representing total investments of more than $30 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 support more than 240,000 households across Quebec. For more information on this agency's programs and services, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.html.