Government of Canada Invests In Transitional Housing for Toronto LGBTIQ2S Youth

Logo: Government of Canada (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Logo: CMHC (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

TORONTO, May 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, in May 2018, the Government launched the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), the largest program of its kind in Canadian history.

Today in Toronto, the Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced a federal government financial commitment of over $4.31 million for the construction of the Egale Centre.

Thanks to this commitment by the NHCF, a pillar initiative of the National Housing Strategy (NHS), and to the investments of other partners, notably the City of Toronto, this project by Egale Canada will provide 26 transitional and 5 emergency units for LGBTIQ2S youth who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Egale Canada is committed to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and Two-Spirit people across Canada. Egale Canada's vision is to have a Canada where LGBTIQ2S youth are safely housed, supported and encouraged to live their dreams.

Quotes

"Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That is why we are proud to partner with Egale Canada in providing homes for LGBTIQ2S youth who are at risk of homelessness here in Toronto. Through the National Housing Strategy, our government has an ambitious goal of reducing chronic homelessness in Canada by at least 50%. Once completed, the Egale Centre will take us one step closer to that goal."  – The Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance

"Today's announcement celebrates the leadership of Egale Canada in the development of Egale Centre. LGBTQ2 youth are alarmingly overrepresented in youth homeless populations across Canada. This $4.375M investment is the largest single financial commitment that the Government of Canada has ever made to a single LGBTQ2 organization. It demonstrates our commitment to equality and inclusion and builds on our promise to find housing for all. I thank and congratulate the Board and donors of Egale Centre." – Randy Boissonnault, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues

"Today's announcement is a terrific demonstration of how our government is continuing to make significant strides towards ensuring the long-term health and vitality of LGBTIQ2S youth who are at risk of homelessness here in Toronto. All of us at Daniels are proud to be partnering with Egale to help bring this important home to life."  – Don Pugh, Vice President of The Daniels Corporation

"Our mission at Egale Canada is to improve the lives of LGBTQI2S people in Canada. Through Egale Youth Services and Egale Centre, we're able to support and provide refuge to some of the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQI2S community. We can't and haven't achieved this alone, we're thankful to our donors and the community for their continued support and for showing up when it matters most."  – Helen Kennedy, Executive Director at Egale Canada

Quick Facts

• With Egale Centre, Egale Canada aims to achieve both energy savings and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 55% compared to the NECB 2015.
• Egale Centre will have 31 units and the capacity to house 33 youth, with 26 units serving as transitional housing and 5 serving as emergency units. Residents will be referred through Egale Youth Services which will take into account the level of need and ability to find housing.
• All of Egale Centre's 31 units will be affordable. 5 of the units will be fully accessible.
• With a budget of $13.2 billion, NHCF gives priority to projects that help those in greatest need, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, those dealing with mental health and addictions, Veterans and young adults.
• Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes over the next 10 years.
• Investments are also planned in the NHCF to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence and create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
• Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

Associated 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. For more information, visit our website or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
• To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Valérie Glazer, Press secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 613-220-1841, [email protected]; Spencer Magee, CMHC Public Affairs, 647-244-0040, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca