The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the community
of Williamsburg today celebrated the opening of 20 new affordable
rental units.  This project is supported by more than $1.4 million in
funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.

Guy Lauzon, Member of Parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry,
on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada and Minister Responsible for Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Jim Brownell, Member of Provincial
Parliament for Stormont – Dundas – South Glengarry on behalf of the
Honourable Jim Watson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Mayor
Bob Kilger, City of Cornwall; Mayor Robert Gillard, Township of South
Dundas; and housing sponsors James Kooistra and Trevor Tolley attended
the ceremony.

“The Government of Canada is committed to making
affordable housing available in Ontario and across Canada for those who
need it the most,” said MP Lauzon. “These new rental units in
Williamsburg will provide access to suitable, affordable housing for
low-income seniors and individuals with special needs.”

“These
20 units will have a positive impact on the people who will call them
home and the community as a whole,” said MPP Brownell. “I would like to
congratulate the developers and community groups for making these
projects a reality.”  

The 20-unit project, sponsored by
Williamsburg Non-Profit Housing, will be occupied by low-income seniors
and individuals with special needs.

The federal and provincial allocations to the project were complemented by over $153,000 in municipal incentives.

 “I
am pleased that new federal and provincial funding for affordable
housing has made these 20 townhouses a reality,” said Mayor Robert
Gillard. “I thank the Service Manager and Williamsburg Non-Profit
Housing Corporation for all their work and dedication to help so many
individuals benefit from this new housing service.  Patience and
persistence pays off.”

The Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing
Program Agreement, signed in 2005, comprises a commitment of $301
million from each of the two senior levels of government.  In total,
the federal, provincial and municipal governments will invest at least
$734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for
up to 20,000 households in Ontario.

Last fall, the Government of
Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over the next five years to
improve and build new affordable housing and to help the homeless.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on this with an additional
one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and
existing social housing and lending of up to another $2 billion to
municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. Combined for
Ontario, this means a further $1.2-billion joint investment under the
amended Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. The
federal and provincial governments are contributing equally to this
overall investment.