CANADA INVESTS IN NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES IN FERNIE

FERNIE, BC, Oct. 27, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, along with Katrine Conroy, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kootenay West and Minister Responsible for Columbia Basin Trust, announced a $1.41 million investment from the federal government through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund toward construction of a 35-unit apartment building in Fernie.

Govt of Canada logo (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Located at 302 (A-D) 13^th Avenue, the project will be a mix of affordable rental housing serving priority groups including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, and single people and families with low to moderate incomes.

The Province of British Columbia and the Columbia Basin Trust are providing a combined grant of approximately $4.57 million while the Fernie Family Housing Society is providing $151,000 in land equity for the apartment building.

This investment by the Government of Canada was made possible by the National Housing Strategy's (NHS) National Housing Co-Investment Fund.

In addition to the 35-unit apartment building, North End Court will feature 14 townhouse units. The Province is providing approximately $1.4 million from the Building BC: Community Housing Fund and annual operating funding of approximately $71,000 for the 14 townhouse units.

Quotes:

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. By investing in affordable housing here in Fernie and across Canada, our government is working hard to create jobs and improve quality of life for those who need it most. Thanks to today's announcement, 49 seniors, families and persons with disabilities will have access to affordable homes. This is our government's National Housing Strategy in action." – The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

"This investment from the Government of Canada's National Housing Co-investment Fund is improving the quality of life for all those who will call North End Court their home and has made Fernie a better place to live. When people have a secure and stable home, they gain the confidence they need to succeed and fulfill their potential."  –  Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville

"Families and seniors in Fernie will benefit from more affordable housing, right in their community, close to their loved ones, schools, and the services they count on thanks to the federal government, Columbia Basin Trust and the Fernie Family Housing Society. Through partnerships like this, our government is continuing to build homes that make life more affordable for people, in rural areas and across the province." – Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West and Minister Responsible for Columbia Basin Trust 

"The Fernie Family Housing Society consists of a small group of volunteers working to provide affordable housing to the citizens of Fernie.  Since 2001 we have completed 2 projects which provided 59 units for seniors, people with disabilities, and low income families. We are now nearing completion on our third project which will provide an additional 49 units. Each of our projects has depended on grants from the CMHC for the development of affordable and accessible units, and we are grateful for CMHC funding which has helped to generate grants from other levels of government." – Gayle Vallance, President, Fernie Family Housing Society

Quick facts:

• This project is part of the more than 35,000 new homes that are complete or underway for people in BC through provincial government investments made since 2017.
• The Community Housing Fund is part of the Province's 10-year, $7-billion housing plan.
• The fund is an investment of $1.9 billion to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes over 10 years for moderate- and low-income families and individuals.
• More than 8,800 of these homes are already open, under construction or in development across the province.
• The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
• With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF plans to:
• Create up to 60,000 new homes
• Repair up to 240,000 homes
• Create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence
• Create at least 7,000 new homes for seniors
• Create at least 2,400 new homes for people with developmental disabilities
• Budget 2022 proposes to advance $2.9 billion in funding under the NHCF to accelerate the creation of up to 4,300 new units and the repair of up to 17,800 units.
• The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.

Related links:

• 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 all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
• To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit: www.placetocallhome.ca
• Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada. 
• To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/.
• A map showing the location of all announced provincially-funded housing projects in BC is available online at: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Arevig Afarian,Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]; Ministry of Attorney General and Responsible for Housing, Media Relations, 236 478-0251; BC Housing, Media Relations, [email protected]