Canada's housing co-ops welcome renewed affordable housing investments in 2013 budget

OTTAWA, March 21, 2013 /CNW/ - The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) and housing co-ops across the country welcome the new affordable housing investments in the 2013 budget.

"Canada's housing co-ops warmly welcome the Harper government's meaningful investments in affordable housing," says CHF Canada Executive Director Nicholas Gazzard. "The decision to provide renewed funding for the cost-shared Affordable Housing Framework and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy fulfills two of our key recommendations to enhance housing affordability for Canadians as outlined in our media release on March 1."

Today's budget includes five-year renewals of both the Affordable Housing Initiative ($1.25 billion) and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy ($600 million) with a new focus on 'housing first' recognizing that money spent on housing saves money on other social services such as policing and health.  The budget also includes $100 million over two years for housing in Nunavut.

Gazzard also commended Ottawa for focusing on economic growth and job creation, two goals that will assist the government in balancing its books by 2015.

The next important step is for Canada's governments to work with CHF Canada and other housing groups to protect the nearly 200,000 vulnerable households living in co-op, non-profit and public housing projects after hundreds of federal operating agreements end.

"With 1.5 million Canadian households in core housing need, we look forward to working together with the federal government, the provinces, municipalities and other housing stakeholders to find solutions," concluded Gazzard.

CHF Canada is the national voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement. Its members include over 900 non-profit housing co-operatives and other organizations across Canada. More than a quarter of a million Canadians live in housing co-ops, in every province and territory.

SOURCE: Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada

Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director, 613-293-8913, [email protected]

David Granovsky, Government Relations Co-ordinator, 1-800-465-2752 ext. 222, 613-290-7687, [email protected]

Scott Jackson, Program Manager, National Communications, 1-877-533-2667 ext. 122, [email protected]