Federal government allocates $41 million for Eastern Ontario affordable housing projects

Ontario Construction News staff writer

The federal government says it will provide more than $41million in contributions and low-cost loans through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to help build and repair 3,304 affordable homes in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario within the next three years.

The largest funding among the 13 projects will be $12 million to the Centrtown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) to repair and renovate buildings housing about 1,200 units, representing about two-thirds of the organization’s portfolio of 54 properties, says CCOC executive director Sarah Button.

“We’re putting in $18 million from our own sources, so it’s a 40/60 (per cent) split, and all of that work and money has to be done by the end of 2007, ” she said.

Speaking at a govenrment-organized news conference at a CCOC community at 464 Metcalfe St. last Thursday, Button said buildings and units will receive window upgrades, building automation systems, solar panels andbuilding envelope upgrades.  “It’s really on a builidng-by-building basis because the buiilding systems and tech and envelopes, they’re so different.”

Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Member of Parliament for Kanata–Carleton, with Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa–Vanier, Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, also participated in the announcement.

“We know Canadians are looking to us to take action to solve the housing crisis,” Sudds said in a statement. “The investments we’re announcing today will have real, tangible impacts here in our community and across Eastern Ontario, and help more Canadians find a safe and affordable place to call home.”

Among the other projects, the largest is $8678,450 for the Vankleek Senior Citizens Manor expansion, which will provide 30 new housing units. The next three projects on the list, two at $5 millon each and one for $4.24 million, represent repair porfolios for the County of Renfrew, Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation, and Hastings County.

Sudds said she would need to “circle back” to provide information on the total project cost – representing the actual money that will be spent beyond the federal finanial contributions.

Here is a list of the projects funded with the number of housing units:

(Note to Raymond:  You’ll need to format this in tabular form)

Dunbar Apartment      Ottawa            $1,163,322      31

City of Renfrew Repair Portfolio       Cornwall         $2,030,334      400

CCOC Repair Portfolio          Ottawa $12,000,000    1,200

County of Lanark Repair Porfolio      Lanark County            $1,490,000      149

Vankleek Senior Citizens Manor Expansion  Vankleek         $8,678,450      30

Home for the Deafblind          Ottawa $395,000         6

Marmora District Housing Commission Elevator Upgrade   Marmona         $75,979           24

Thurlow Court Belleville         $46,340           21

County of Renfrew Repair Porfolio    $5,000,000      500

Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation Repair Portfolio Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton    $5,000,000            500

The Corporation of the County of Hastings Repair Portfolio County of Hastings     $4,240,000      424

A Place Called Home Kawartha Lakes          $1,348,629      19

Christ Church Bells Corners Rectory Redevelopment, top up funding         Ottawa $250,000

“We know Canadians are looking to us to take action to solve the housing crisis. The investments we’re announcing today will have real, tangible impacts here in our community and across Eastern Ontario, and help more Canadians find a safe and affordable place to call home.”

Quick facts:

• The federal funding announced today is helping create a total of 86 new homes and is leading to the repairs of 3,218 homes.
• The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provides funding through low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partnered organizations for new affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable and community housing. This is a $13.2 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
• As of March 2024, the federal government has committed $50.97 billion to support the creation of over 146,000 units and the repair of over 286,000 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
• To support the Government’s work to grow housing supply and address the need for more affordable and rental homes, CMHC is implementing the Frequent Builder
• The Frequent Builder framework will help expedite applications for the Affordable Housing Fund and the Apartment Construction Loan Program. The Frequent Builderstatus is given to existing housing providers with a proven track record of building multi-residential units. Different criteria apply to Governments, non-profit and for-profit organizations to qualify for Frequent Builder
• Frequent Buildersmay receive benefits such as priority treatment, a streamlined process through intake, underwriting and approval stages, underwriting and advancing flexibilities, as well as the possibility of funding commitments for future years which will allow funding predictability and better planning for their pipeline of projects.

Additional information:

Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.

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, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Appendix: Projects receiving funding under AHF