CALGARY, AB, Dec. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Over the last 21 months, more and more Canadians have faced increased pressure to find affordable housing that meets their needs. Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, and the government of Canada has an important role to play to make that a reality.
Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary, announced that residents have begun moving into Vista Apartments, a newly renovated 120-unit building for independent Seniors aged 55 and older.
Over $15.5 million of federal funding was provided to Silvera Homes for Seniors. This investment is a part of an initial $24.6 million allocated to the City of Calgary under the Major Cities stream of the Rapid Housing Initiative.
Owned and operated by Silvera for Seniors, Vista Apartments is a former all-suites hotel in Calgary's northeast community of Horizon. The one- and two- bedroom apartments include kitchens with fridge, cooktop, convection microwave, and dishwasher. The building features shared laundry facilities, parking, and an in-site sports court. Residents began moving in on December 1st, and full occupancy is expected in Spring 2022.
This funding is in addition to the Government of Canada's recent investment of $16.6 million through the second phase of the Rapid Housing Initiative to support the creation of up to 60 additional housing units in Calgary, bringing the total creation of affordable units to 236 so far.
In its initial round, with funding of $1 billion announced in October 2020, the RHI exceeded its original target of 3,000 permanent affordable housing units and achieved 4,700 units nationally. Due to this success, an additional $1.5 billion for the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) was recently announced to create 4,500 new units of permanent affordable housing across the country. Thanks to this expansion, this initiative will now create over 9,200 affordable homes for the most vulnerable Canadians across the country.
This new investment will create thousands of good jobs in the housing and construction sector, grow the middle class, and build back stronger communities, while getting us closer to our goal of eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada.
Quotes:
"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The arrival of Seniors to Vista Apartments shows that the Rapid Housing Initiative is working. Our government will continue to support those who need it most by quickly providing 120 new affordable homes for Seniors in Calgary. This is just one of the many ways our National Housing Strategy continues to ensure no one is left behind." – The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
"Everybody deserves a safe and affordable home. Our government’s Rapid Housing Initiative is helping increase Calgary’s supply of new affordable housing for those in need. Today, Vista Apartments in Northeast Calgary is offering affordable places to call home for seniors living in Calgary. This $15.5 million investment is another great example of our federal government working for Calgarians." – George Chahal. Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview
"This opening of Silvera's Vista Apartments marks the first Calgary project made possible through a new approach to housing partnership between The City and our federal partners. As we tackle the challenges of affordable housing and homelessness in Calgary, we need to expand partnership with all orders of government to deliver creative housing solutions." – Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary
"We are delighted to open this innovative building that provides homes for seniors who are in the greatest need of safe and secure housing. At Silvera we offer homes for older adults, including subsidized housing and well-priced retirement living options so all Calgarians have housing choices in our city. We committed $3M to this project and are proud to be the first to deliver this RHI building, on time and on budget. We are excited to move in our first residents and we share our gratitude with the Government of Canada and The City of Calgary who made this project possible." – Arlene Adamson, CEO, Silvera for Seniors
Quick facts:
- The RHI is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under the National Housing Strategy (NHS).
- Canada's NHS is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home. Launched in 2017, the NHS will build and repair thousands of housing units, and help households with affordability support.
- The RHI is a $1 billion program launched in October 2020 to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing.
- Due to this success, an additional $1.5 billion for the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) was recently announced through Budget 2021 with $500 million in funding under the Cities Stream being allocated to the following municipalities: Burnaby, Calgary, Capital Regional District, Durham, Edmonton, Gatineau, Greater Sudbury, Halifax, Hamilton, Iqaluit, Kingston, Laval, London, Longueil, Montreal, Niagara, Ottawa, Peel, Quebec, Regina, Saskatoon, Surrey, St. John's, Toronto, Vancouver, Waterloo, Whitehorse, Windsor, Winnipeg, and Yellowknife.
Under the Projects Stream: $1 billion will be allocated to eligible applications submitted during the RHI's initial application period last fall and having not yet received funding. - Based on feedback from stakeholders, CMHC has introduced new flexibilities to the RHI:
- Program applicants will be eligible to receive funding for additional forms of new construction beyond modular, if units can be built within 12 months.
- Non-profits will now have an opportunity to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to support the viability of units without government subsidy (self-funded).
- Cities will have a longer time to submit projects (60 days instead of 30).
- Project delivery timelines have been adjusted for projects located in the North and special access communities.
- At least 25 per cent of this new funding will go toward women-focused housing projects. The units will be built within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants.
- The RHI will continue to prioritize proposals that target units serving Indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups. It will also continue to provide flexibilities on timelines to Indigenous governing bodies or organizations as needed.
- Due to the considerable response during the first round of the Projects Stream, many eligible applications remain unfunded. Applicants with eligible proposals from the first round of RHI that have not yet received funding will be contacted directly with further details.
- The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people under the NHS, including: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2 individuals, racialized and Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees.
- CMHC supports the government's efforts to improve the well-being of Canadians facing housing and homelessness challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Associated links:
- Rapid Housing Initiative
- National Housing Strategy
- New Rapid Housing Initiative to create up to 3,000 new homes for Canadians
- Rapid Housing Initiative will exceed targets by creating more than 4,700 new homes for Canadians
- Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience
- www.silvera.ca
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, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Media contacts: Daniele Medlej, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]
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