Governments Celebrate
New Affordable Housing in London

London, ON The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of London celebrated the grand opening of 20 affordable rental units today in London. The development is supported by $1.92 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. 

Ed Holder, Member of Parliament for London West, 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 the Honourable Deb Matthews, Member of Provincial Parliament for London North Centre and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, on behalf of the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Ontarios Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, along with Gina Barber, Controller, City of London, made the announcement. 

Our Government believes strongly in giving a hand-up to those in need, this is why we are proud to have invested in this project in London, said MP Holder. These new 20 units are more than just a safe and affordable place to live. They are the key to a better life for those Londoners with special needs that will call them home.

Building stronger communities is an important part of the provinces Open Ontario plan, and

Im delighted that the McGuinty government, through this partnership, is investing in more accessible and affordable housing, said Deb Matthews, MPP. The project were celebrating today will make a positive and significant difference in the lives of these of these 20 tenants.

This is an important day for London, as we take another key step in the national fight against homelessness, said Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. By working together with all levels of government to provide additional affordable housing, we are positively changing the lives of those most vulnerable in our community, and across the country.  

The 20-unit project located at 164 Albert Street received more than $1.92 million through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. The federal and provincial funding is complemented by more than $580,000 in municipal financial incentives.

"This partnership of three levels of government enabled Dale Brian Injury Services (DBIS) and SDI Builders to provide affordable and accessible housing with support services, said Sue Hillis, Executive Director, DBIS. In the words of tenant Angelo, living here is great! The downtown location is very convenient, and its like living in a brand new building because its been totally redone.

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 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 for the construction of new and the renovation of existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in low-cost loans to municipalities.  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.

In 2009, Ontario allocated a combined federal and provincial investment of $704 million for the renovation of social housing, and $540 million for the creation of new affordable housing.  This investment will create an estimated 23,000 jobs over the course of the program, and strengthen local economies across the province.  To date, Ontario has approved more than $515 million for construction-ready projects, which will provide affordable housing for low-income families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, and $522 million for repairs benefiting some 172,000 social housing units.  To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.ontario.ca/housing.

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 Canadas Economic Action Plan, call 1-800-O Canada or visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

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