Canada announces Rapid Housing Initiative funding in Sudbury

SUDBURY, ON, June 29, 2023 /CNW/ - Today Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, accompanied by Paul Lefebvre, Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury, announced over $14 million in funding for the Lorraine Street Affordable Housing project in Sudbury.

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

The announcement took place on Lorraine Street, where the 40-unit transitional housing complex will be erected and for which construction has already begun. The Government of Canada, through the second round of the Rapid Housing Initiative invested over $7.4 million while the City of Greater Sudbury's contribution is nearing $7 million.

For this project, the City of Greater Sudbury is partnering with the local hospital and Health Sciences North, to provide support services to high need households, particularly chronically homeless individuals, Indigenous populations, and women. Support services will be provided through Health Sciences North's Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) which specializes in mental health and addictions. The transitional housing site is also located near major public transit routes for additional accessibility.

The Rapid Housing Initiative provides funding to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing units.

Quotes:

"Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we are quickly providing new affordable housing units for people who need them most, right across Canada, including right here in Sudbury. By working closely with our partners to create more affordable housing that meets the needs of Canadians, the Government of Canada is continuing to deliver meaningful results for Canadians. This is 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

"This investment will continue to help Canadians access safe and affordable housing that meets their needs, while also creating jobs for the local economy, here in Sudbury. The Government of Canada remains committed to working with our partners to develop and implement solutions to housing in Sudbury, Ontario, and across Canada." –  Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury 

"The Lorraine Street development provides affordable housing and clinical treatment services to individuals who are chronically homeless in our community, in alignment with the City's population health priorities of mental health, housing and healthy streets. This new complex will also help fill gaps and alleviate pressures on other services in our community, including the hospital, police services and social service agencies. I thank our federal partners for their support of this vital initiative." –  Paul Lefebvre, Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury

Quick facts:

• The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest more than $82+ billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.
• Launched in 2020, the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under the NHS.
• The first two rounds of the RHI exceeded expectations and are expected to create more than 10,000 units instead of the 7,500 initially planned. This includes more than 3,300 units to support women and more than 4,200 units to support Indigenous Peoples.
• 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, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized groups, and recent immigrants or refugees.

Related links:

• For more information on RHI and eligibility criteria, visit cmhc.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 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, visit: www.placetocallhome.ca
• Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Shiraz Keushgerian, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [e-mail]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [e-mail]