CANADA SUPPORTS 21 RAPID HOUSING UNITS IN NUNAVUT

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

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

IQALUIT, NU, Oct. 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced a combined investment of nearly $30 million in funding for Nunavut. This investment from the Federal Government through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) Projects Stream and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) will help create 21 new rental units for ten projects across five Qikiqtani communities including Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, Clyde River, Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet.

These projects will include a mix of affordable, accessible, four-bedroom detached units and three-bedroom semi-detached dwellings designated for Indigenous residents and women.

The breakdown of funding for these projects is as follows:

• $17.9 million under the Project Stream of the third round of the Rapid Housing Initiative
• $11.9 million from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA)

This is made possible by the Government of Canada's additional investment of $1.5 billion through RHI, bringing the program's total to $4 billion to support the country's most vulnerable. The additional funding for the third round of RHI will be divided into two streams: $1 billion through the Projects Stream and $500 million towards the Cities Stream. This investment is expected to create at least 5,200 more affordable housing units for Canadians in severe housing need across the country, with 25% of investments going towards women-focused housing projects. The total number of units created with all three phases of the RHI is now over 15,500 across Canada.

Quotes:

"Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we are quickly providing new affordable homes for people who need them most, including for Inuit communities in Nunavut. This investment will provide a mix of affordable and accessible units for those who need it the most. Today's announcement shows what is possible when governments and our housing partners work together to give people a place to call home." – The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"Everyone deserves an affordable and safe place to call home. In partnership with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, our government is investing almost $18 million to help build 21 new homes for those who need them most in communities across Nunavut. Building sustainable housing in the North is an investment in the future of all these communities, which will soon have new homes for those in core housing need." – The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

"QIA is proud to play a role in addressing the housing crises in Nunavut. Positive working relationships are essential along with the continued investment towards improving the infrastructure gap in Canada's Arctic. An additional $18 million in funding, added to our $134 million affordable housing project, will ensure more homes are being built" – Olayuk Akesuk, President of Qikiqtani Inuit Association

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:

• Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.
• For more information on RHI3 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 (CMHC)

Kevin Collins, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, [email protected]; Media Relations: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]; Karen Flaherty, Director, Strategic Communications, Qikiqtani Inuit Association, [email protected]