Government of Canada Invests in Supportive Housing for Women and their families in St. Catharines

St. Catharines, Ontario, June 21, 2019

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, in May 2018, the Government launched the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), the largest program of its kind in Canadian history.

Today in St. Catharines, Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced a $2.23 million financial commitment from the federal government for the YWCA Niagara Region Oakdale Commons project in St. Catharines.

Thanks to this commitment by the NHCF, a pillar initiative of the National Housing Strategy (NHS), and to the investments of other partners, namely, the Province of Ontario, the Regional Municipality of Niagara, the City of St. Catharines and several others, this project will be able to house up to 24 women in need along with their children. Currently, the YW’s family apartments are spread across St. Catharines which can be isolating for struggling families. The new facility, a family shelter (four units) combined with permanent housing apartments (20 units), will encourage social interaction and a support network for families.

For 90 years, the YWCA Niagara Region has been providing essential programs and service to women and their families in the Niagara Region.

Quotes:

“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. As part of our National Housing Strategy, our Government is dedicated to helping those in need, which is why we are proud to be investing in this project. Under the National Housing Strategy, a target of 33% of all investments will support the unique needs of women and their children. Oakdale Commons will be more than just a safe place to call home, it will be key to a better life for the women and children who come here when they have nowhere else to go.”
— Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines

“We are so pleased with today’s announcement of the federal funding we are receiving through the Co-Investment Fund as part of the National Affordable Housing Strategy. With this funding we will ensure that some of the most vulnerable women in our community have access to supported affordable housing.”
— Laurie Andrews, Board President of YWCA Niagara Region

Quick facts:

All of the Oakdale Commons units will have affordable rents (apart from emergency units).
The new building aims to achieve energy savings and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 26% compared to the National Energy Code for Buildings 2015.
Oakdale Commons will be constructed with universal design and four units will be fully accessible.
The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $55 billion plan that will create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent.
With a budget of $13.2 billion, NHCF gives priority to projects that help those in greatest need, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, those dealing with mental health and addictions, Veterans and young adults.
Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes over the next 10 years.
Investments are also planned in the NHCF to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence and create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

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

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