Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Housing in York Region
Posted by: Toronto Real Estate Admin / Category: News Bulletin
MARKHAM, ON, February 25, 2011 — The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and The Regional Municipality of York celebrated the official opening of 120 affordable rental units today. The development is supported by $8.4 million in funding through the Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program.
Paul Calandra, Member of Parliament for Oak Ridges – Markham, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); the Honourable Michael Chan, Member of Provincial Parliament for Markham-Unionville and Minister of Tourism and Culture, on behalf of the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Bill Fisch, York Region Chairman and CEO; along with Frank Scarpitti, Mayor of Markham, made the announcement.
“The Government of Canada is helping make affordable housing available in Ontario and across Canada for those who need it the most,” said MP Calandra. “These new units in Markham are helping families and individuals access safe and affordable housing and are a tribute to Tony Wong who, as an immigrant to Canada, dedicated his time, energy and talents to making a difference in the community.”
“These 120 rental units will provide people in our community with a safe, accessible and affordable place to call home,” said MPP Chan. “Projects like these are an important part of the Open Ontario plan to build stronger communities across the province, and this new facility is an important measure of our success in working with our partners to support our most vulnerable citizens.”
“We are pleased to celebrate the successful completion of this partnership that has engaged all levels of government and community organizations,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. “I am also very pleased we can pay tribute to Tony Wong, who contributed so much to his community in Markham, both as a Regional Councillor and Ontario MPP.”
“This affordable housing development meets Markham’s diverse community needs through a variety of unit sizes and accessibility accommodations,” said Frank Scarpitti, Mayor, Town of Markham. “Its sustainable design also meets the needs of our environment with state-of-the-art, green energy features. I am also pleased that this project honours the memory and the many contributions of the late Tony Wong. He was a champion of Markham, a colleague, and a dear friend.”
Tony Wong Place, a 120-unit project located at 25 Deverill Court in Markham will serve low-income families and individuals. The project received $8.4 million through the Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program, with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada providing an additional $384,387 in federal funding through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. The federal and provincial funding is complemented by $3.58 million in municipal financial incentives.
“Markham Interchurch Committee for Affordable Housing began work on Tony Wong Place over eight years ago and saw it come to fruition in July 2010,” said Susan Flatt, President of the Board, Tony Wong Place. “The building was named in recognition of the late Tony Wong who was a strong advocate for affordable housing during his term as a Regional Councillor in Markham.”
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 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 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 $528 million for construction-ready projects, which will provide affordable housing for low-income families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, and $591.79 million for repairs benefiting some 180,183 social housing units. To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.ontario.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. For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, call 1-800-O Canada or visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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For more information, visit: www.ontario.ca/housing
See related speech
February 25, 2011 — (from left to right) Paul Calandra, MP for Oak Ridges – Markham; Michael Chan, MPP for Markham – Unionville and Minister of Tourism and Culture; Gordon Landon, Regional Councillor, Town of Markham; and Bill Fisch, York Regional Chairman and CEO, celebrate the grand opening of Tony Wong Place in Markham.
Article source: http://www.cmhc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2011/2011-02-25-1000.cfm