New Affordable Housing for Seniors Opens in Calgary

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - July 10, 2014) - Seniors in Calgary now have more affordable housing options thanks to an investment by the Governments of Canada and Alberta. Inglewood House is a new three-story, 43-unit complex built for seniors. The building consists of 10 studio and 33 one-bedroom apartments, five of which are barrier-free.

The Honourable Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights and Member of Parliament for Calgary East, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development); along with Wayne Cao, MLA for Calgary-Fort; on behalf of the Honourable Greg Weadick, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary celebrated the official opening of Inglewood House today.

"It hardly seems possible that almost two years have passed since the groundbreaking ceremony," said Parliamentary Secretary Obhrai. "Yet here we are today, celebrating the official opening of Inglewood House. Our Government is proud to have invested in affordable housing in Calgary to help provide a stable and affordable place for seniors to call home."

"The Government of Alberta's continued investment in affordable housing ensures seniors will be able to live close to family and friends in the communities they worked so hard to build," said Greg Weadick, Minister of Municipal Affairs. "Inglewood House makes a wonderful addition to the vibrant and historic community of Inglewood, and our government is delighted that seniors have an option for safe, affordable housing for many years to come in one of Calgary's most revered communities."

"Inglewood House was a four-year project in the making and would not have been possible without a Board of dedicated volunteers," said Joe Torocsik, President of Inglewood Housing Corporation. "The location in the community of Inglewood provides residents with easy access to shopping, transportation and numerous amenities."

The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta jointly contributed $4.7 million through Canada's Economic Action Plan - Housing for Low-Income Seniors, an additional $10,000 was provided to the group in Seed funding through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Annually, the Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest approximately $2 billion in housing. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of close to 600,000 households living in existing social housing. In Alberta, this represents an estimated 36,300 households. The remaining funding supports housing-related activities and affordable housing programs, including the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH). 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. Economic Action Plan 2013 continues this commitment with a federal investment of more than $1.25 billion over five years to renew the Investment in Affordable Housing to 2019. The Government of Canada will ensure that funds provided to provinces and territories support the use of apprentices, which will support training of skilled labour. From April 2011 to March 2014, the IAH has already helped more than 183,600 households nationally, and more than 952 in Alberta.

Through partnerships with federal and municipal governments, community groups, and the non-profit and private sectors, Alberta has made great strides to increase the supply of affordable housing across the province. Since 2007, the Government of Alberta has supported the development of 12,000 affordable housing units for homeless and lower-income Albertans through capital grant funding in 62 communities. The province exceeded its original goal of 11,000 units in September 2012. Housing support to those in need is helping to build strong communities and is part of the Building Alberta Plan. For more information on Alberta's housing support, visit http://municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/housing.cfm.

Inglewood Housing Corporation, a volunteer board incorporated in 1974, in conjunction with Government Programs has built and operated affordable housing for seniors, in Inglewood, for the past 40 years.

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.