Canada to build affordable homes for seniors in Gravenhurst

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery, including in Gravenhurst.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, alongside  Jennifer O’Connell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Pickering – Uxbridge, and Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for Newmarket – Aurora, Paul Kelly, Mayor of Gravenhurst and Councillor of the District Municipality of Muskoka and Leonard Ojha,  Managing General Partner, Alexander Muskoka Residence, announced over $23.3 million in federal funding  to build the Alexander Retirement Care Facility, which will build near 100 housing units primarily intended for seniors, people living with disabilities or mental health issues.

Located at 520 Isaac Street in Gravenhurst, the three-storey building will feature a total of 95 residential suites with services, as well as a large kitchen, an activity and common area, laundry facilities, health center and physiotherapy rooms. The new homes will include a mix of bachelor, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.

This investment by the Government of Canada was made possible by the National Housing Strategy’s (NHS) National Housing Co-investment Fund (NHCF).

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Our government is committed to helping those who need it most, including our seniors, and this project will do just that for the community here in Gravenhurst. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”

“Through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, our government is investing in affordable housing here in Gravenhurst and across Canada to help create jobs and improve quality of life for those who need it most. Thanks to today’s announcement, low-income individuals in Gravenhurst now have access to affordable homes. This is the National Housing Strategy in action.”

“This investment from the Government of Canada’s National Housing Co-investment Fund is improving the quality of life for the seniors and people with disabilities or mental illness who call the Alexander Retirement Care Facility their home and has made Gravenhurst a better place to live.”

“On behalf of District Council, we are pleased to be a partner in this much-needed affordable housing project that will benefit both the District of Muskoka and the Town of Gravenhurst.  It supports the District’s 10 Year Housing Homeless Plan’s goal to provide “housing for everyone” and to increase affordable housing supply in Muskoka.”

“We are grateful to have the financial investment of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. Our goal to provide a leading older adult community that is affordable and built to a high efficiency standard would not have become a reality without CMHC’s support. CMHC’s investment, along with our other partners The District of Muskoka, Muskoka Community Futures and our Limited Partners, was fundamental in making our project a reality.”

Quick facts:

• With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, 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.
• Under the NHCF, investments are also planned to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence, as well as create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
• To help Canadians find affordable housing, Budget 2021 provides an additional $2.5 billion over seven years in new funding and to reallocate $1.3 billion in previously announced funding to speed up the construction, repair, and support over 35,000 additional housing units.
• In Budget 2021, $750 million in existing funding under NHCF has been advanced to 2021 – 22 and 2022 – 23. This will accelerate the creation of 3,400 new units and the repair of 13,700 units. $250 million in existing funding will also be allocated to support the construction, repair, and operating costs of an estimated 560 units of transitional housing and shelter spaces for women and children fleeing violence. This funding will help the Government address gender-based violence.
• Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $72+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.

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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. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, 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.

For information on this release:

Arevig Afarian
Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
Arevig.Afarian@infc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca