Nearly $4.7 Million Invested in Becancour to Improve the Quality of Life of Low-Rental Housing Tenants

BÉCANCOUR, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - Oct. 20, 2014) - On a visit in the Centre-du-Québec region, representatives from the governments of Canada and Quebec gathered in Bécancour today to mark the completion of renovations to Plateau Laval. The work to renovate this low-rental housing project, built in the 1970s, required investments of nearly $4.7 million over the past ten years.

The financial assistance provided allowed for the renovation of this housing project composed of several row homes, semi-detached houses and apartment buildings. The work included redoing the insulation on certain facades, replacing some of the exterior cladding, and renovating kitchens and bathrooms. Certain units were also converted to meet a growing demand for smaller dwellings.

Three partners, namely, the Government of Canada ($2.3 million), through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Government of Quebec ($1.9 million), through the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), and the Municipality of Bécancour ($468,000), worked together to ensure that these renovations, led by the Office municipal d'habitation de Bécancour, would be carried out.

"Significant investments are being made in Quebec for the modernization and improvement of existing social housing to help improve the quality of life of families, individuals and seniors across the province. Our Government is very proud to support initiatives that improve the quality of life of Quebec households," said the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development).

"The Government of Quebec attaches a great deal of importance to the housing conditions of Quebec residents, especially those of low-income households. By renovating the Plateau Laval units, the SHQ not only helped revitalize the neighbourhood but also contributed to improving the quality of life of the tenants and enabling them to feel safer. That's why we intend to continue our investments to ensure the sustainability of the social housing stock," said Jean Rousselle, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy (housing).

"The mission of the Office municipal d'habitation de Bécancour is to level the differences and provide a fulfilling and comfortable living environment to less fortunate people. This is a social role that we are proud to encourage," said Jean-Guy Dubois, Mayor of Bécancour.

It should be noted that hundreds of millions of dollars are invested each year by the federal and provincial governments in order to improve the condition of some 73,000 social housing units in Quebec.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Annually, the Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), will invest approximately $2 billion in housing. These investments are improving the quality of life for Canadians living in social housing and low-income households, 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 the Government of Canada and CMHC help Canadians meet their housing needs, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642, visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca or follow CMHC on Twitter @CMHC_ca.

Société d'habitation du Québec

The SHQ's mission is to facilitate citizens' access to appropriate housing conditions. Each year, thanks to its programs and many partners, the SHQ helps more than 230,000 Quebec households. To find out more about the programs and services offered by the SHQ, as well as its activities and achievements, or else to get advice on housing, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html and follow the SHQ on social networks: Facebook (SocietehabitationQuebec) and Twitter (HabitationSHQ).