Over 100 new homes to support those most vulnerable in Regina

Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Affordable housing is key to Canada’s pandemic recovery for communities across the country, including in Regina.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, was joined by Tara Osipoff, Executive Vice-President, Avana, and Nicki Ackerman, CEO of Avana Foundation Inc., to announce a federal investment of $30.8 million to support the construction of new housing through the National Housing Co-investment Fund (NHCF), representing the largest federal investment in affordable housing through the National Housing Strategy (NHS) for the city of Regina.

Located on Trombley Street, the three-storey, wood-frame apartment building will be comprised of 116 units, with 39 units of affordable housing dedicated for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Building amenities include 117 electrified surface parking stalls, as well as an onsite turf play area, and a playground in the interior courtyard for children to play.

The building will be owned and operated by Avana Foundation Inc., the non-profit arm of the Avana, a real estate development and property management company based in Regina. Established in 2019, the Avana Foundation Inc. was created to provide affordable housing and give back to the western Canadian communities where they operate.

Construction of the Trombley Street project is currently underway and will begin welcoming residents in spring 2023.

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

Quotes:

“Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. Our government is committed to helping women and their children by making women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and other gender-based violence support organizations more accessible. We’re also creating more affordable housing to support women and children fleeing domestic violence in Regina and across Canada. This is an important way our National Housing Strategy is supporting our most vulnerable, while ensuring that no one is left behind.”

“On behalf of my City Council Colleagues and the City of Regina, we are grateful to see another significant investment from the federal government for new supportive housing in Regina for women and children. We thank the Avana Foundation and Avana for their work developing this project to support vulnerable residents in our community. This work is another step in enhancing community safety and wellbeing in Regina.”

“Investments in affordable and attainable housing are investments which positively affect every member of a community. To see such a strong commitment from CMHC, the Federal Government and the City of Regina gives us hope. Ultimately, it brings us closer to our common goal of giving every member of our communities access to safe, lasting, and financially viable housing options.”

“At Avana, we develop and manage high-quality products while providing access to attainable housing for people who have been alienated by profit-led policies and broken, dehumanizing values. Providing funding for developments that address the growing housing gaps in our communities shows tremendous leadership and foresight. We are grateful to have such strong and visionary allies as we try to break down the barriers preventing our most vulnerable from accessing basic human rights.”

Quick facts:

• The RHI is a $2.5 billion program creating over 10,000 new homes to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing.
• Close to 33 per cent of the Rapid Housing Initiative funding under round two will go towards women-focused housing projects with units constructed within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants.
• The RHI has received significant interest from Indigenous groups, which resulted in over 40% of all units created under the program to be targeted to Indigenous peoples.
• Units are intended to be constructed within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants (with some exceptions), with units in the North and in special access communities intended to be constructed within 18 months.
• The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and others who are among the most vulnerable, including: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2+, racialized groups, Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees.
• Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $72 billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.

Associated links:

• Rapid Housing Initiative
• National Housing Strategy
• New Rapid Housing Initiative to create up to 3,000 new homes for Canadians
• Rapid Housing Initiative will exceed targets by creating more than 4,700 new homes for Canadians
• Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience

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, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

For information on this release:

Arevig Afarian
Press Secretary
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