Federal government supports seniors housing in Ontario

Woolwich, Ontario, February 16, 2024

Today, the federal government announced over $7 million in funding through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) – a key pillar of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy – to support the constructions of 58 homes for seniors through 2 housing projects in Woolwich and Oxford.

The announcement took place at 33 Front Street in St. Jacobs, where Beyond Housing has built the Sprucelawn apartments. The building includes 28 new homes for seniors with a priority to single senior women. It has a full universal design including 4 units surpassing accessibility standards.

The project, which started welcoming its new residents in November 2023, received over $4.8 million in funding through the Affordable Housing Fund, over $3.1 million from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, $192,009 from the Township of Woolwich and over $2.7 million from Beyond Housing.

The second project announced today, located at 99 Mill Street in Plattsville, includes 30 newly constructed homes for seniors that are accessible and energy efficient. Three of the units will be dedicated to woman fleeing domestic violence thanks to a partnership with DASO (Domestic, Abused Services Oxford).

This project was completed in 2022 and has received over $2 million in federal funding through the Affordable Housing Fund, $1.5 million from Oxford County, land from the Corporation of the Township of Blandford Blenheim and $500,000 from DKP Realty Holdings Ltd.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Today’s announcement of funding will help create more safe and affordable homes for senior citizens in the Township of Woolwich and in Oxford County. By supporting projects like these, our government is helping seniors keep a strong and active presence in the communities they call home.”
— Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener – Conestoga on behalf of the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“The Region of Waterloo is creating affordable housing at an unprecedented rate. Along with our partners, we are working to ensure that new homes reflect the present and future needs of our residents. This includes the urgent need for affordable housing options for older adults in the rural communities they call home. I am delighted to see Beyond Housing’s innovative vision of the Sprucelawn expansion become a reality. Thank you to our federal and provincial partners for investing in affordable housing right here in Woolwich Township.”
— Karen Redman, Regional Chair of Waterloo Region

“Sprucelawn has provided seniors with high-quality, sustainable, and affordable housing for about forty years. Support from CMHC has been instrumental in expanding this important community housing project. The Township of Woolwich appreciates this collaborative partnership which addresses a growing need within our community.”
— Sandy Shantz, Mayor of the Township of Woolwich

“The development at 99 Mill St. E., Plattsville, embodies our unwavering dedication to the vision outlined in Oxford County's Strategic Plan—a future where every resident is '100% housed.' With financial support from the National Housing Co-Investment Fund administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing and the Province of Ontario and in collaboration with the Township of Blandford-Blenheim and Dave and Kim Piggott of DKP Reality Holdings Ltd., this development not only provides much-needed housing for seniors but adds 22 affordable rental units to our growing inventory of affordable housing and advances a goal in our Master Housing Strategy to add at least 50 new affordable units per year.”
— Marcus Ryan, Warden, Oxford County

“We are pleased to once again partner with the Government of Canada through CMHC to create much-needed affordable housing for seniors. This investment adds 28 new apartments to an existing building that was also developed in partnership with them in the mid 1980’s. It is this type of ongoing collaboration and investment that will continue to serve the community for decades to come.”
— Dan Driedger, Executive Director of Beyond Housing

“We commend the federal government for addressing the need for affordable housing in rural areas as it is important to recognize the lack of available housing options for those that have deep roots in our communities, and we are proud to provide safe, clean, and affordable homes to seniors in areas where they can stay close to family and friends in their community.”
— Kim Piggott, DKP Realty Holdings Ltd.

Quick facts:

The announcement was made by Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener – Conestoga on behalf of the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities alongside Karen Redman, Regional Chair of the Waterloo Region, Marcus Ryan, Warden of Oxford County, Sandy Shantz, Mayor of the Township of Woolwich, and Mark Peterson, Mayor of the Township of Blandford-Blenheim.
The Affordable Housing Fund — previously known as the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) - is part of the Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS), an $82+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home.
As of September 30, 2023, the Government of Canada has committed over $38.89 billion to support the creation of over 151,803 units and the repair of over 241,133 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
As of September 30, 2023, the Government of Canada has committed over $7.49 billion to support the creation of over 31,589 units and the repair of over 128,959 units through the Affordable Housing Fund.

Additional information:

Visit canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.

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 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.

Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly at www.placetocallhome.ca. The Housing Funding Initiatives Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.