Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Rental Housing in Hamilton

HAMILTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 17, 2016) - The Governments of Canada and Ontario, along with the City of Hamilton, are celebrating the official opening of new affordable rental housing for low-income individuals and families in Hamilton. Rudy Hulst Commons, which opened in late May, provides 47 affordable apartments in Hamilton's east end.

Bob Bratina, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, on behalf of Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with Ted McMeekin, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, on behalf of the Honourable Chris Ballard, Ontario's Minister of Housing, made the announcement today.

Quick facts:

• The Governments of Canada and Ontario contributed more than $5.4 million to Rudy Hulst Commons through the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement (IAH 2011-2014).
• Municipal contributions and non-governmental funding has provided an additional $2.3 million to the project.
• Rudy Hulst Commons was developed by Indwell, a Christian charity that creates affordable housing communities that support people seeking health, wellness and belonging.
• In August 2014, Isaac Neven (son of Indwell Executive Director Jeffrey Neven) biked 800 kms to raise funds for Rudy Hulst Commons.
• Rudy Hulst Commons is located across the street from another Indwell project, the Dr. John M. Perkins Centre, which received more than $5.4 million from the Governments of Canada and Ontario in 2011 through the Canada - Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. The project provides 46 affordable bachelor apartments.

Quotes:

"Our Government is providing Canadians not only with safe, affordable housing, but also with the jobs and opportunities they need, so they can strengthen and contribute to our communities. We are proud to support the creation of these new affordable housing units which will contribute to improve the overall well-being of families in Hamilton." - Bob Bratina, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

"Our government is committed to ending chronic homelessness. Through partnerships and programs like this one, we're helping people in need to gain access to affordable housing and a stable place to live." - Ted McMeekin, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale

"I am proud of the commitment from our Provincial and Federal partners to continue to make affordable housing a priority in Hamilton. With a shared sense of purpose and collaborations with organizations like Indwell, we can begin to alleviate housing challenges and ensure everyone in Hamilton has a home." - Mayor Fred Eisenberger, City of Hamilton

"With over 500 applications from people desperately looking for affordable housing with supports, I'm overjoyed to welcome 52 people in our 47 new apartments. With our head office located in the same building, I've been privileged and humbled to hear first-hand stories of survival from our new tenants while they were searching for their permanent home. While we pause to celebrate, we won't do this long - we're already transitioning our attention to the others looking for hope and homes." - Jeffrey Neven, Executive Director, Indwell

Associated links:

- CMHC has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. As Canada's authority on housing, we contribute to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provide support for Canadians in housing need, and offer unbiased housing research and advice to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of our operations. For more information, please call 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca.

- Ontario continues to build new affordable housing and repair existing units for Ontarians with housing needs. Since 2003, the province has committed more than $4 billion in funding for affordable housing, which has helped support more than 20,000 new affordable rental housing units, more than 275,000 repairs and improvements to social and affordable housing units and rental and down payment assistance to more than 90,000 households in need. These investments complement the commitments made through our recent Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy update, and support our goal of ending chronic homelessness in 10 years. For more information on Affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing.

Stay connected:

- Link to Live Webcast: http://www.vvcnetwork.ca/mmah/20160617

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