The Governments of Canada and Manitoba celebrated the official opening today of Villa Youville, a new 24 unit affordable rental apartment complex for seniors living on low incomes in Ste. Anne. The project received $8.5 million in funding from the Governments of Canada and Manitoba.
The Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba, along with the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), attended the official opening.
“This new building improves the lives of many seniors living in the Ste. Anne’s area and it alleviates the growing demand for senior housing through more affordable housing options,” said Premier Selinger. “Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and our communities by working with other levels of government, the private sector and not-for-profit sectors to create housing opportunities for Manitobans.”
“We remain committed to helping seniors in Manitoba and throughout the country. Projects like this one are providing safe, affordable housing to many residents in our community while creating jobs and stimulating our economy,” said Minister Glover. “Our Government remains focused on four priorities, as outlined by the Prime Minister, that Canadians care most about: their families, the safety of our streets and communities, their pride in being a citizen of this country, and of course, their personal financial security.”
“The Villa Youville organization is proud to finally be able to offer this new housing option to the elderly population of our region,” said Louis Sorin, President of the Villa Youville Inc. Board. “It’s been a long process and the participation of our many partners made this project possible. This brand new state-of-the-art facility will provide a new much needed type of housing for the people of the southeast region.”
The project involved the demolition of the former personal care home and replacing it with 24 units of affordable, supportive housing. Twelve of the new units will be rented on a rent geared-to-income basis, and the remaining at median market rents for the area. In addition to working with existing infrastructure and service supports, this project introduces supportive housing into the community of Ste. Anne. The building uses geothermal heating and cooling and includes a chapel, and expanded kitchen and dining room that were funded through community fundraising.
Funding was made available through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal government’s plan to stimulate the economy and create jobs during the global recession. The federal and provincial governments are contributing equally to this overall investment of $176 million under the amended Canada-Manitoba Affordable Housing Program Agreement. Additional provincial funding was also provided through HOMEWorks!, Manitoba’s long-term housing strategy.
Annually, the Government of Canada, through CMHC, invests approximately $2 billion in housing. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of close to 594,000 households living in existing social housing. In Manitoba, this represents an estimated 39,700 households. The remaining funding supports housing-related activities and affordable housing programs, including the Investment in Affordable Housing. These investments are improving the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in existing social housing, including individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and Aboriginal people. Economic Action Plan 2013 continues this commitment with a federal investment of more than $1.25 billion over five years to renew the Investment in Affordable Housing to 2019. The Government of Canada will ensure that funds provided to provinces and territories support the use of apprentices, which will support training of skilled labour. More than 142,000 households across Canada are no longer in housing need as a result of funding provided under the IAH from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2013.
Over the next three years, the Manitoba government will invest $100 million annually to restore and redevelop housing units in its portfolio. An additional $34 million will be dedicated annually to repair existing stock and provide quality home environments for tenants. Manitoba will also build 500 more social housing units and 500 more affordable rental units over the next three years. This is in addition to the 1,500 social housing and 1,500 affordable housing units that are on schedule for 2014. These investments, to build more affordable housing, are in addition to increased benefits for employment and income assistance recipients and other low-income Manitobans announced in Budget 2013 through an annual increase of $6.3 million in RentAid shelter benefits. Better housing is a part of the Manitoba Building and Renewal Plan, which will also help build the province’s critical infrastructure priorities including flood protection, roads, schools and health centres. Information about Manitoba’s three-year plan is available at www.gov.mb.ca/housing/three_yr__plan.
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-schl.gc.ca.
