Joint Government Funding Will Bring New Affordable Seniors Housing to Innisfail

INNISFAIL, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - March 20, 2015) - More affordable housing options will soon be available for seniors in Innisfail, thanks to a $17.6 million investment by the Governments of Canada and Alberta. Autumn Glen Lodge currently contains 62 units, which will be replaced with a new, 60-unit lodge and a minimum of 30 units of seniors' self-contained apartments.

Earl Dreeshen, Member of Parliament for Red Deer, Alberta, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), along with Kerry Towle, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, made the funding announcement today.

Quick facts:

• The Autumn Glen Lodge is located at 4045 - 50th Avenue, Innisfail.
• The existing lodge and self-contained apartment facilities will be demolished once the new units become available for occupancy.
• It is anticipated the construction of the new facility will be completed in early 2018.
• The project will be operated through a partnership between The Parkland Foundation and The Bethany Group.
• The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta are jointly contributing $17,640,000 to the project under the Investments in Affordable Housing Agreement 2014-2019.
• Additional funding will be contributed by the Parkland Foundation.

Quotes:

"The Government of Canada is pleased to partner with all levels of government as well as Parkland Foundation to provide quality, affordable housing through the development of the new Autumn Glen Lodge. This project will benefit Innisfail by developing needed housing for seniors of this community." - MP Earl Dreeshen, Member of Parliament for Red Deer

"We know there is a direct connection between having safe, stable housing and a senior's overall well-being. Our commitment is to build quality accommodation options that meet a variety of needs. This investment helps ensure seniors can stay in their communities, close to family, friends and neighbours." - Kerry Towle, MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake

"We are really excited about this project. The Board is so thankful to the governments for recognizing the need to replace Autumn Glen Lodge. The lodge has been a great home for residents but like many buildings of its age, it doesn't meet the needs of seniors today. The new lodge will allow us to continue meeting the needs of our seniors for years to come." - Connie Huelsman, Board Chair of the Parkland Foundation.

Associated links:

• Annually, the Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), invests approximately $2 billion in housing. These investments improve 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. Economic Action Plan 2013 continued this commitment with a federal investment of more than $1.25 billion over five years to renew the Investment in Affordable Housing to 2019. The Government of Canada will ensure that funds provided to provinces and territories support the use of apprentices, which will support training of skilled labour.
• In the last four years, the Alberta government has dedicated more than $220 million towards seniors' housing across the province. This includes $144.5 million in federal-provincial funding to renew and expand 14 lodges. Renovation projects and replacement units funded by the IAH in 2012-13 include government-owned lodges in Boyle, Camrose, Canmore, Drayton Valley, Forestburg and Milk River.

Stay connected:

- Follow CMHC on Twitter @CMHC_ca

- Follow Alberta Seniors on Twitter @YourAlberta