Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of St. Catharines has been awarded $25.7 million from the federal government’s housing accelerator fund (HAF), a $4 billion initiative supporting local governments for expediting the development of new homes.
“The housing accelerator fund is set to support the city in implementing a range of fresh initiatives aimed at boosting the approval of housing units, ensuring that more individuals have a place to call home,” said Mayor Mat Siscoe. “Clearly we are capable of conquering greater challenges when we all work together.”
The funding addresses housing needs in the city, focusing on quantity and quality of housing.
One of the cornerstone initiatives included in the City’s approved contribution agreement is the creation of a municipal development corporation. The development corporation will enable the municipality to take the lead in bringing municipal property to market to support new housing opportunities and establish partnerships with the development community.
“The City of St. Catharines would like to thank the Federal Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and CMHC for this substantial investment in housing. This is a tremendous example of how different orders of government are able to enter into partnerships to improve the lives of the residents of St. Catharines and across the country,” said Chief Administrative Officer David Oakes.
