CANADA SUPPORTS NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR ALBERTANS IN NEED

STONY PLAIN, AB, March 9, 2023 /CNW/ - More than 600 new affordable housing units are on the way for Albertans in need through the Affordable Housing Partnership Program (AHPP). 

Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism, Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, along with the Honourable Jeremy Nixon, Provincial Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, Searle Turton, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Spruce Grove-Stony Plain, Arlene Adamson, President, Alberta Seniors & Community Housing Association and CEO, Silvera for Seniors, and Lori-Anne St. Arnault, Executive Director, Meridian Housing Foundation announced a combined investment of nearly $54 million to support 17 affordable housing projects in nine communities throughout Alberta.

The federal government is providing up to $27 million in funding for the AHPP through the Canada-Alberta Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy. The AHPP will support a range of initiatives, including development of new affordable housing for seniors, families, newcomers, and women and children. Other projects will convert existing office or hotel space into housing for vulnerable Albertans and enable major renovations to improve existing units.

Funding has been provided for the following projects:

 Calgary Region 

• $11.5 million to Horizon Housing Society to build family and community housing in Calgary
• $4 million to Rocky View Foundation to build seniors apartments in Airdrie
• $3.9 million to the Calgary Drop In and Rehab Centre to renovate and modernize units for vulnerable Calgarians
• $3.3 million to Sarcee Meadows Housing Co-operative Ltd. to retrofit and build new seniors housing in Calgary.
• $1.5 million to the City of Calgary to build family and community housing in Calgary
• $1.4 million to Airdrie Housing Limited to build affordable housing in Airdrie
• $680,000 to Silvera for Seniors to build seniors apartments in Calgary
• $227,000 to Westwinds Communities to build family and community housing in Okotoks

Edmonton Region

• $14.7 million to Meridian Housing Foundation to build seniors units in Spruce Grove
• $3 million to Catholic Social Services to build housing for women, children and newcomer families in Edmonton
• $2.3 million to the City of Edmonton to build supportive housing for women and children fleeing family violence in Edmonton
• $2 million to the Leduc Regional Housing Foundation to build family and community housing in Leduc
• $900,000 to Right at Home Housing Society to build housing for persons with disabilities, women and children in Edmonton.
• $400,000 to Right at Home Housing Society to build housing for newcomer families, and for women, children in Edmonton

Other areas

• $2 million to Stepping Stones Crisis Society to build housing for women fleeing violence in Cold Lake
• $1.2 million to Heart River Housing to build seniors apartments in Falher
• $595,000 to Green Acres Foundation to build seniors apartments in Lethbridge

Quotes:

"Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. By working closely with partners, we are creating more than 600 units of affordable housing for those who need it most throughout Alberta. Today's announcement is a step forward in our ongoing efforts to deliver meaningful results and increased affordability for Canadians. This is just one of the many ways our government's National Housing Strategy is ensuring no one is left behind." – The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

"Access to housing is a human right and is essential to one's sense of dignity, safety and inclusion. These projects are yet another example of what can be achieved when all orders of government work together. Through this collaboration with the Government of Alberta, the federal government is taking concrete steps to help ensure that the most vulnerable people living in Alberta have safe and affordable housing that allows them to thrive." – The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism, Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre

"Having worked for many years in the non-profit sector, I can remember the excitement felt when an individual experiencing homelessness received a key to their own home. As our government expands affordable housing, more Albertans will have the opportunity to feel the pride that comes with unlocking their own front door." – The Honourable Jeremy Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

"Alberta's seniors have spent decades making our communities what they are today. I am pleased to see that through funding from the Affordable Housing Partnership Program, seniors in the Spruce Grove-Stony Plain area will have access to the modern, safe, and affordable housing they deserve." – Searle Turton, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Spruce Grove-Stony Plain

"Silvera commends the Government of Alberta for today's announcement, making a significant commitment to increase the number of affordable housing units in our province. This type of collaborative partnership across all orders of government is not only welcomed but critical to meeting the growing need for affordable housing in our communities." - Arlene Adamson, President, Alberta Seniors & Community Housing Association and CEO, Silvera for Seniors

"We welcome the province's funding contribution towards a new seniors lodge in the City of Spruce Grove. This commitment demonstrates the Alberta Governments' support for senior housing and will address the shortage of subsidized housing in the Tri-Region. When partners come together, we can increase housing options allowing residents to remain in their community and have a home of choice." - Lori-Anne St. Arnault, Executive Director, Meridian Housing Foundation

Quick facts:

• Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $82-plus billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
• NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
• The Affordable Housing Partnership Program (AHPP) is part of Alberta's Stronger Foundations affordable housing strategy to support an additional 25,000 households by 2031 – an increase of more than 40 per cent.
• AHPP is cost-matched through the Canada-Alberta Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy.
• In December 2022, Alberta's government launched the Affordable Housing Partnership Program to build and renovate more affordable housing units across the province. This program partners with local organizations, governments, and housing providers to build housing that meets the needs of the community it will serve.
• The first round of funding for the Affordable Housing Partnership Program closed January 11, 2023. The program will open again to applications this spring.

Additional Information:

• 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, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
• To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Additional Links:

• Affordable Housing Partnership Program
• Stronger Foundations affordable housing strategy
• Affordable housing programs

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Contacts: Brittany Hendrych, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]; Hunter Baril, Press Secretary, Seniors, Community and Social Services, [email protected], 780-619-5774