Mar 12th, 2018

AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING CELEBRATED IN OTTAWA WEST-NEPEAN

Click here to download the News Release from the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario.

News Release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2018

AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING CELEBRATED IN OTTAWA WEST-NEPEAN

Ottawa, ON — Funding for new affordable housing in Ottawa West-Nepean was announced today. The Carlington Community Health Hub, a development project by Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCH) in partnership with Carlington Community Health Centre (CCHC) at 900 Merivale Road received $4.6 million of funding from the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario through the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) agreement. This new construction will provide 42 new affordable units for seniors.

The Ottawa Community Housing development at 2926 Michèle Drive received $650,000 for six units of IAH funding.

Anita Vandenbeld Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, along with Bob Chiarelli, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, made the announcement today.

Quick facts:

• A four-story addition is being built to the existing Carlington Community Health Centre. The ground floor of the new addition will house an expanded medical clinic. Each floor will house 14 seniors’ apartments for a total of 42 one-bedroom homes. OCH will lead the construction work as well as manage the new facility. Operating costs will be shared between OCH and CCHC.
• OCH’s six homes in the Michèle Heights community include 4 four bedroom homes and 2 five bedroom modified barrier-free homes
• Today’s announcement of affordable housing in Ottawa-West Nepean was part of a larger announcement that included 16 IAH developments across Ottawa, totalling more than $54 million in federal-provincial funding and more than 675 units of additional affordable housing.
• The funding levels in Budget 2016 by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the IAH agreement have been doubled to close to $337 million over two years. This is in addition to existing funding of close to $1.9 billion to March 2019 under this initiative.
• Canada’s first-ever National Housing Strategy is a 10-year, $40-billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
  • The National Housing Strategy aims to achieve a number of targets over the next decade, including:
    o Removing more than 530,000 households out of housing need
    o Creating 100,000 new housing units
    o Repairing and renewing more than 300,000 housing units
    o Protecting an additional 385,000 households from losing an affordable place to live
    o Reducing chronic homelessness by 50%

Quotes:

“Our Government is investing in affordable housing here in Ottawa West-Nepean and across Canada to help create jobs and improve the quality of life for those who need it most. Thanks to the combined efforts of our partners, we are able to give a helping hand to individuals in need, and in doing so, we are contributing to the economic and social well-being of the entire community.”
– Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean

“These important investments at Carlington Community Health Centre and the Michèle Heights community development will better the quality of life by providing affordable housing in our community. The focus of Carlington’s Health Hub innovative model is to give seniors the option to stay in their homes by providing on-site access to medical and support services, therefore delaying their need to enter a long-term care facility. We also know that providing access to affordable housing is a critical step towards ending chronic homelessness as we continue making Ontario the best place to call home.”
– Bob Chiarelli, MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean

“Through the creation of a solid partnership with Ottawa Community Housing, the championing of the project at all levels of government, our Local Health Integration Network; and the support of our Boards, our staff and our community, we now see the result of that vision and hard work rising from the foundations in bricks and mortar. The journey has been anything but typical – we, as partners have had to craft unprecedented agreements and have had to be willing to take risks to see it through.”
–Cameron Macleod, Executive Director of Carlington Community Health Centre

“I am thrilled for the construction of this innovative facility – not only is it being built in Ottawa, but it is the first in the province. The work behind the Carlington Health Hub joint proposal was significant. An incredibly dedicated group of individuals from both organizations not only recognized but seized the opportunity that led to this submission. The Health Hub is specifically designed to provide affordable housing as well as a wide range of medical services and supports conveniently on site to help keep seniors in their homes longer.”
–Councillor Mathieu Fleury, Chair of the Board for Ottawa Community Housing

“Our proposal was developed in a collaborative partnership involving Carlington Community Health Centre. It is the quintessential example of a community partnership that came together with the same objectives; to build innovative, environmentally friendly new affordable homes for low-income seniors, while integrating primary medical care and support services under the same roof. This Hub will be a model for integrated housing care.”
–Stéphane Giguère, CEO of Ottawa Community Housing

Associated links:

•  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. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Investing in affordable housing programs is part of Ontario’s plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives. Since 2003, the province has committed more than $5 billion in funding for affordable housing, which has helped support more than 22,000 new affordable rental housing units, more than 335,000 repairs and improvements to social and affordable housing units and rental and down payment assistance to more than 93,000 households in need. These investments complement the commitments made through Ontario’s recent Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy update, and support the province’s goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025. For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on Twitter.

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Media contacts:
Émilie Gauduchon
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Duclos
819-654-5546
Alex Benac
Office of MPP Chiarelli
416-326-2137