Official Opening of Seventy-Eight New Affordable Apartment Suites in St. Albert

ST. ALBERT, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Sept. 12, 2013) - St. Albert families and individuals of modest means now have a place to call home with the completion of 78 affordable housing suites at Big Lake Pointe. The Governments of Canada and Alberta, the St. Albert Housing Society and Big Point Developments celebrated the official opening of Big Lake Pointe today. This new affordable rental development offers one, two and three bedroom suites, 28 of which are barrier-free. Big Lake Pointe also has 40 market-rate units for a total of 118 units.

Brian Storseth, Member of Parliament for Westlock-St. Paul, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development); along with Stephen Khan, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for St. Albert, on behalf of the Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Doug Griffiths; were in attendance today for the opening.

"Through investments in affordable housing, our Government is providing assistance to those who need it most here in St. Albert and in all corners of the country," said MP Storseth. "We are committed to making communities stronger through projects like these. We remain focused on four priorities, as outlined by the Prime Minister, that Canadians care about most: their families, the safety of our streets and communities, their pride in being a citizen of this country, and of course, their personal financial security."

"The City of St. Albert and the St. Albert Housing Society deserve to be commended for making another tremendous stride in affordable housing with the completion of Big Lake Pointe," said Stephen Khan, MLA for St. Albert. "With its mixture of affordable and market rents, Big Lake Pointe is also a shining example of how new approaches can address housing challenges now and in the future."

"The St. Albert Housing Society is proud to be opening Big Lake Pointe today. This attractive new 118 rental home complex is providing much needed market and affordable rental homes at a time when St. Albert is positioned for significant growth," David McGreer, Society Board Chair said. "St. Albert is in critical need of housing for employees for our existing local businesses and for the new business opening soon, for seniors, and for young families with modest incomes. Big Lake Pointe is providing rental homes at rental rates that are affordable for individuals and families who are essential to our community and our economy."

The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Province of Alberta, through Alberta Municipal Affairs, contributed a combined total of $6,787,554 through the Canada-Alberta Investment in Affordable Housing 2011-2014. The City of St. Albert provided $2,551,393 to the St. Albert Housing Society through the purchase and donation of land and grant funding.

This funding comes as a result of the $121 million Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) 2011-2014 Agreement between the Governments of Canada and Alberta. Alberta will use the funds under the new agreement to create new and renovate existing affordable housing for households in need.

Economic Action Plan 2013 continues 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. More than 142,000 households across Canada are no longer in housing need as a result of funding provided under the IAH from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2013.

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest approximately $2 billion in housing this year. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of close to 594,000 households living in existing social housing. In Alberta, this represents an estimated 37,250 households. 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.

Through partnerships with federal and municipal governments, community groups, and the non-profit and private sectors, Alberta has made great strides to increase the supply of affordable housing across the province. Since 2007, the Government of Alberta has supported the development of 12,000 affordable housing units for homeless and lower-income Albertans through capital grant funding in 62 communities. The province exceeded its original goal of 11,000 units in September 2012. For more information on Alberta's housing support, visit www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/housing.cfm.

The St. Albert Housing Society creates safe, affordable housing choices for its residents through leadership, land acquisition, housing development, pursuit of funding, education and advocacy.

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-schl.gc.ca.