Governments of Canada and Alberta Celebrate New Affordable Housing in Magrath


MAGRATH, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Dec. 17, 2012) - Seniors in search of affordable housing in Magrath will have more home ownership options thanks to a $1.76 million joint investment for Wildrose Place by the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta. Today, Wildrose Place is celebrating its official opening. This new 16 unit affordable housing project in Magrath has been created to help meet the needs of low-income seniors including persons with disabilities within the town of Magrath.

Jim Hillyer Member of Parliament for Lethbridge, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Greg Weadick, Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Lethbridge West, on behalf of Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths, made the announcement today.

"Our Government is helping to make affordable housing available in Alberta and across Canada for those who need it the most," said MP Hillyer. "These 16 new units in Magrath are helping seniors access safe and affordable housing, and build a stronger future for themselves."

"Our government is committed to building strong communities and developing more affordable housing so Alberta's seniors have a place to call home," said Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths. "We were proud to collaborate with the Government of Canada and the Town of Magrath on its first affordable home ownership project for seniors."

The Town of Magrath is working to build a world-class, sustainable community. "Affordable housing is vital to providing an excellent quality of life in our growing town and rural region in the years ahead," said Mayor of Magrath Russ Barnett. "Wildrose Place provides a new kind of housing for Magrath where seniors have a safe, affordable and barrier-free home in a welcoming community setting."

Non-profit organizations, private businesses and municipalities were eligible to apply for the funding through Alberta's Affordable Housing Request for Proposals process which leverages government funding with private-sector dollars. Successful applicants receive funding to purchase or build affordable housing units, renovate existing rental units, develop secondary units in private homes or support other options as identified by the community.

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest approximately $2 billion in housing this year. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of almost 605,000 households living in existing social housing. In Alberta, this represents some 38,400 households. These investments are improving the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in existing social housing, including individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and Aboriginal people.

The Government of Alberta has a clear plan for a strong economic recovery. The Way Forward will bring Alberta back into a surplus position in three years by trimming government spending; using cash reserves to protect key programs; continuing to invest in public infrastructure; and ensuring that our province's industries are competitive and continue to attract investment to provide jobs and prosperity.

The Alberta government has exceeded its goal to create 11,000 affordable housing units by 2012. Since 2007, approximately $1.15 billion in capital grants has gone to support development of more than 12,000 affordable housing units. For more information on affordable housing support, visit www.municipalaffairs.alberta.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-schl.gc.ca.

Contact Information:

Charles Daniel Mainville
CMHC
403-515-2915
cdmainvi@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Trisha Anderson
Communications, Municipal Affairs
780-415-9811
trisha.anderson@gov.ab.ca

Marian Ngo
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482