Governments of Canada, Ontario and the Town of Hawkesbury Celebrate New
Affordable Housing

HAWKESBURY, ON, Feb. 10 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada , the Government of Ontario, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell and the Town of Hawkesbury today celebrated the start of construction of 24 affordable rental units. The project is supported by $2.88 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.

Pierre Lemieux , Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley , Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and Jean-Marc Lalonde, Member of Provincial Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell on behalf of Jim Bradley , Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; along with Conrad Lamadeleine, Warden of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, Jeanne Charlebois , Mayor of the Town of Hawkesbury, made the announcement.

"Our government is providing a hand up to those Canadians who need it the most," said MP Pierre Lemieux . "We're committed to making communities stronger through projects like this one here in Hawkesbury. These investments in local infrastructure will help create new jobs stimulate the local economy."

"The province is committed to helping people who live on lower or fixed incomes stay in their home communities," said MPP Jean-Marc Lalonde. "These 24 new affordable rental units are going to make a positive difference in the lives of the individuals living here, and make an excellent addition to the Town of Hawkesbury."

The 24-unit project located at 300 Nelson Street received $ 2.88 million in funding through the two-year extension of the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program and is sponsored by the Brisson/Labelle Partnership. The building will be occupied by individuals living on low incomes, including persons with disabilities and special needs.

"It is living proof that with partnerships between various levels of governments and the private sector, we can achieve important projects like this one and this participation will allow our community to enjoy more affordable housing," said Warden Conrad Lamadeleine.

"We welcome this new housing development in our town and we congratulate Mr. Marc-André Labelle, Mr. Dominic Labelle and Mr. Jean-Luc Brisson for the opportunity they are offering our residents seeking affordable housing" said Mayor Jeanne Charlebois .

The Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement comprises a commitment of $301 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal, provincial and municipal governments will invest at least $734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for up to 20,000 households in Ontario.

In 2008, the Government of Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over the next five years to improve and build new affordable housing and to help the homeless. Canada's Economic Action Plan builds on this with an additional one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and existing social housing and lending of up to another $2 billion to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. Combined for Ontario, this means a further $1.2-billion joint investment under the amended Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. The federal and provincial governments are contributing equally to this overall investment.

Ontario is moving quickly to get new housing built. The province has already approved more than $224 million for construction-ready projects, which will improve access to affordable housing for low-income families, seniors and persons with disabilities across the province. It will also create jobs and strengthen local economies. To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.mah.gov.on.ca.

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.ca/housingactionplan. For more information on Canada's Economic Action Plan, call 1-800-O Canada or visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

    
    For more information visit:  http://www.cmhc.ca/
                                 www.ontario.ca/housing
    

For further information: Media contacts: Stephen Derksen, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [phone]; Joe Kim, Minister Bradley's Office, [phone]; Michelle Bakos, Press Secretary, Office of Minister Finley, [phone]; Lise Lemay, Mayor Charlebois Office, [phone] ext. 2223