Governments of Canada and Yukon Invest in Affordable Housing in Whitehorse

WHITEHORSE, YUKON--(Marketwire - Aug. 15, 2012) - The Governments of Canada and Yukon, along with community partners, gathered today to announce funding for Options for Independence, for a new building providing 14 new housing units for clients living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in Whitehorse.

Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski and Ryan Leef, Member of Parliament for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) made the announcement today.

"The Canada-Yukon Affordable housing Agreement is helping our government meet the needs of Yukoners and deliver on our commitments to make housing a priority," said Premier Pasloski. "This project will go a long way to help house some of the most vulnerable and often homeless members of our community. It's an important step along the way as we move forward on our housing strategy."

"Our Government is committed to giving a hand-up to those who need it most here in Yukon and across Canada", said MP Leef. "That's why we are proud to have invested in the construction of these new units in Whitehorse, which will go a long way to providing affordable housing and support services for years to come."

Funding for this $3.05 million project was made available through the extension of the 2009 Affordable Housing Initiative. The federal government will provide $1.05 million to the non-profit group, while Yukon Housing Corporation will make available $2 million in construction and mortgage financing.

Options for Independence delivers housing, support and supervision for adults living with FASD, to promote independent living. The new construction will allow the Options for Independence Society to provide housing and program services for up to 26 residents. The new units are expected to be complete by the summer of 2013.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon announced, in August 2011, the extension of the Affordable Housing Initiative for the 2011 - 2014 period. The federal funding of $2.955 million will be matched by the Government of Yukon and project proponents for a total investment of $5.91 million over three years. This funding will help Yukoners in need of housing, including seniors, persons with disabilities and low income families.

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. 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.

To learn more about Yukon Housing Corporation visit www.housing.yk.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.