Government of Canada to Build Safe and Affordable Housing in Hamilton

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

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

Projects mark the start of new funding from the new Co-Investment Fund

HAMILTON, ON, Jan. 22, 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 Hamilton, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced a financial commitment from the federal government for three projects valued at $27.6 miilion including over $10.08 million for the construction of 50 units at the YWCA Hamilton Ottawa Street Redevelopment located in Hamilton.

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 Province of Ontario and the City of Hamilton, this project by the YWCA Hamilton will provide safe and affordable housing for 35 women and women-led families and another 15 units will be geared toward women with developmental disabilities.

The new property will be built on the site of the former Ottawa Street YWCA. The existing community centre was no longer meeting the needs of the community as the facility had aged, so the YWCA Hamilton is taking this redevelopment opportunity to include housing units for women and children in need. The non-residential space will be used to offer extensive programs and services to the tenants as well as the community.

Quotes

"We believe everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed and this is why we are extremely happy to be supporting this wonderful project in Hamilton through the National Housing Strategy. I am proud to be part of a government that works in a spirit of collaboration with all partners to enable all Canadians to build a better life for themselves and their community." – Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas

"We are thrilled to realize our vision of safe, affordable housing for women, girls and families on Ottawa Street. Housing is a starting point for women to move forward. And thanks to this commitment by the federal government, we are able to provide women with a foundation that is necessary for them to succeed. Because every dollar we invest in women is an investment in the greater community."   – Denise Christopherson, CEO of YWCA Hamilton

Quick Facts

• The projected construction cost of the YWCA Hamilton Ottawa Street Redevelopment is over $22.2 million.
• With its Passive House design, the YWCA Hamilton aims to achieve energy savings of 75% and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 25% compared to the National Energy Code for Buildings in 2015.
• 10 units will be fully accessible and all common areas of the building will be barrier-free.
• 35 units will be affordable and will have rent representing less than 75% of the median market rent.
• YWCA Hamilton is a women-led charitable organization that meets the needs of women and girls since 1889. The organization offers a wide range of services and programs including emergency shelter and transitional housing, affordable child care and after-school programming, youth services, employment and training, women's and senior's health and wellness, and women and girls leadership.
• With a budget of $13.2 billion, NHCF gives priority to projects that help those in greatest need, 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 survivors 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]; Catherine Léger, Public Affairs, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 514-475-5165, [email protected]; Sheryl Nadler, Media and Communications Manager, YWCA Hamilton, 905-745-0915, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca