Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) today announced 22 new grants to improve housing affordability for Canadians. The grants, totalling $99,700, are being awarded under CMHC’s Affordability and Choice Today (ACT) Initiative.
“CMHC is pleased to support the many municipalities, home builders and non-profit housing providers working to develop local housing solutions that will benefit the economy and revitalize communities across the country,” said Douglas Stewart, Vice-President, Policy and Planning, CMHC.
In operation since 1990, ACT provides grants of up to $5,000 to teams of municipalities and private or non-profit home builders who promote the improvement of planning and building regulations in their communities to make housing more affordable and responsive to local needs. ACT also offers a wealth of proven best practices and lessons learned so that communities can benefit from the innovations of others.
ACT is funded by CMHC and administered and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), with the participation of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA).
“ACT assists municipalities, home builders and housing groups to work together on regulatory reforms that support innovation. ACT has a significant impact leading to the creation of new affordable housing options,” said FCM President Basil Stewart.
“By sharing information about how housing providers, builders and municipalities implemented changes, other local teams across the country can benefit when adopting those changes in their own communities,” added CHRA President David Eddy.
“ACT grants have helped home builders to work with municipalities to streamline approvals and eliminate hurdles in planning and building regulations in order to improve housing affordability and choice,” said CHBA President Gary Friend.
As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes — homes that will continue to create vibrant, healthy communities and cities across the country.
The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), made the announcement today.
“Our Government’s Economic Action Plan is improving housing conditions for those who live in First Nation communities in Quebec. We are also stimulating the local economy by creating jobs,” said Minister Paradis.
Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada has committed $400 million over the next two years to help First Nation communities build needed new housing, repair and remediate existing non-profit housing for their members, and complement housing programs offered by CMHC and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). This investment will also provide an economic stimulus for many First Nations and surrounding areas by creating jobs.
The application calls for the new funding initiatives under Canada’s Economic Action Plan were very successful and generated a large number of applications. As a result, CMHC will be fully allocating all the available funding for this fiscal year.
Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, some $45 million in federal investments will be made available to First Nations in Quebec to address immediate housing needs. CMHC is contributing $483,000 to retrofit 33 social housing units on-reserve for the Naskapi First Nation.
More information on this and other measures in Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal government’s plan to stimulate the economy and protect those hit hardest by the global recession, can be found at: www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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.ca/housingactionplan.
The Government of Canada announced today an investment of close to $1.8 million, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, to improve housing conditions for the Penticton and Snuneymuxw First Nations communities.
The Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia – Pacific Gateway, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), made the announcement in Penticton.
“Our Government’s Economic Action Plan is delivering support for improvements in housing conditions for members who live in First Nation communities in British Columbia and we are also stimulating the local economy by creating jobs,” said Minister Day.
Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada has committed $400 million over two years to help First Nation communities build needed new housing, repair and remediate existing non-profit housing for their members, and complement housing programs offered by CMHC. This investment will also provide an economic stimulus for many First Nations and surrounding areas by creating jobs.
The application calls for the new funding initiatives under Canada’s Economic Action Plan were very successful and generated a large number of applications. As a result, CMHC will be fully allocating all the available funding for this fiscal year.
Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, some $50 million in federal investments will be made available to First Nations in British Columbia to address immediate housing needs.
CMHC will allocate more than $7 million to build 43 new housing units on-reserve in British Columbia. Of this funding, Penticton First Nation and Snuneymuxw First Nation will receive close to $1.8 million to build 12 new housing units.
“We are pleased to welcome this new housing construction that has come to us at a time when both the Penticton leadership and community members have identified our housing needs as a priority,” said Jonathan Kruger, Chief of the Penticton First Nation. “This ensures the health and safety of our Elders, children and membership through sustainable homes and is of utmost importance to the Band.”
“These new homes are a step toward addressing our longstanding housing needs and help us build our community’s equity. We have been able to provide seven new homes as well as an opportunity for some of our community members to work in construction,” said Snuneymuxw First Nation’s Chief Douglas White III. “This project represents a major life change for seven families — they will have a home to call their own! It has been a huge opportunity for our Nation and our members welcome these important new homes.”
