Official Opening of 102 New Affordable Rental Housing Units for Families and People Aged 50 or Older in Sherbrooke

SHERBROOKE, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Sept. 9, 2016) - Les Habitations Place de l'Est is celebrating the official opening of its 102-unit affordable rental housing complex for families and people aged 50 or older. For a year now, these new units have been providing a nice place where children, seniors and other individuals from various cultural communities all live alongside one another.

Located in the borough of Fleurimont, the complex is in a booming neighbourhood, near shops, public transit and green spaces. The project comprises two buildings: one three-storey structure with 36 units for families and one four-storey structure with 66 units for people aged 50 or older.

The ceremony took place today in the presence of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Member of Parliament for Compton-Stanstead, federal Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, along with Guy Hardy, Member of the National Assembly for Saint-François, on behalf of Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montréal region.

Quick facts

• Through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), the governments of Canada and Quebec provided close to $5.6 million for the construction of these two buildings, under the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement (IAH 2014-2019).
  
  
• Close to $232,000 was granted by the Bureau de l'efficacité et de l'innovation énergétiques of the Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles to ensure that the buildings would obtain the Novoclimat certification.
  
  
• The City of Sherbrooke provided nearly $1.6 million for the development of the project.
  
  
• Close to $880,000 in additional financial assistance over five years, assumed by the SHQ (90 per cent) and the City of Sherbrooke (10 per cent), enables all the tenants to benefit from the Rent Supplement program, ensuring that they will not pay more than 25 per cent of their income on housing.
  
  
• Le Parallèle de l'habitation sociale is responsible for Les Habitations Place de l'Est. This group works closely with the Office municipal d'habitation de Sherbrooke.
  
  

Quotes

"Les Habitations Place de l'Est is an excellent example of a vibrant, welcoming community where people of all ages and from different cultural communities come together. I wish that residents will thrive for a long time. All Canadians need and deserve housing that is safe, adequate and affordable." - The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for Compton-Stanstead, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie

"We must recognize and congratulate all the partners who contributed directly or indirectly to the development of Les Habitations Place de l'Est, a safe and vibrant living environment that fosters social mix. Our government is very proud to be associated with such projects that improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable people in our society." - Guy Hardy, Member of the National Assembly for Saint-François

"In my view, it is really important to provide quality housing to all families, regardless of their incomes. With this housing project, about a hundred households will be able to allocate more of their budget on food and clothing, and also on family, sports and recreational activities. The City of Sherbrooke is proud to participate in this local initiative that promotes social inclusion in a true spirit of solidarity" - indicated Bernard Sévigny, Mayor of Sherbrooke

Associated links

• CMHC has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of its operations. For more information, please call 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca.
  
  
• Canadians are invited to help shape the National Housing Strategy by joining the conversation on www.LetsTalkHousing.ca. Your ideas will contribute to the future of housing in Canada.
  
  
• 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 228,000 Quebec households. To get more information on the programs and services offered by the SHQ, to find out more about its activities and achievements or to get advice on housing, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html.
  
  
• This past April, Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montréal region, announced that a public consultation would be held on the new housing approach that he intends to adopt over the coming years. For details and the schedule of the tour, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca (in French only).
  
  

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