Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Housing in the County of Dufferin
Orangeville, Ontario – The official opening of 28 new affordable housing rental units for seniors living on low income was held today in Orangeville. The project received $2.71 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments.
September 09, 2021
Orangeville, Ontario – The official opening of 28 new affordable housing rental units for seniors living on low income was held today in Orangeville. The project received $2.71 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments.
David Tilson, Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, 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 Reza Moridi, Member of Provincial Parliament for Richmond Hill, on behalf of the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, along with Allen Taylor, County of Dufferin Warden, made the announcement.
“Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our Government is taking concrete action to help ensure economic recovery and create the conditions for long-term growth,” said MP David Tilson. “Funding projects like the Dufferin Social Housing Project will not only improve the overall housing conditions for seniors here in Orangeville, but also help stimulate the local economy and create jobs.”
“By providing local seniors with a safe and affordable place to call home, this residence is a welcome and much-needed addition to our community,” said MPP Linda Jeffrey. “As part of our Open Ontario Plan, investing in affordable housing creates jobs and builds stronger, more vibrant communities.”
“This state of the art facility is a wonderful and much needed asset to the community”, said Warden Allen Taylor.
The 28 units are part of a 30-unit project located at 40 Lawrence Avenue in Orangeville which received $2.71 million through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. The federal and provincial funding is completed by $4.07 million in municipal financial incentives.
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 and provides $475 million, over two years, to build new rental housing for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes $2 billion for the construction of new and the renovation of existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in low-cost loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. 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 is part of the Open Ontario plan, and 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 $510 million for construction-ready projects, which will provide affordable housing for low-income families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, and $402 million for repairs benefiting some 150,000 social housing units. To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.ontario.ca/housing.
More information on this and other measures in Canada’s Economic Action Plan can be found at www.actionplan.gc.ca. 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.