Canada Announces Support for Rapid Housing in Hamilton

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery as major cities across the country including Hamilton, are dealing with the devastating impacts of rising levels of homelessness and housing need.

Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour and Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of the City of Hamilton, announced details of the $10.8 million Rapid Housing Initiative allocation for the City of Hamilton.

This funding will play a crucial role in achieving greater housing accessibility, by providing 45 homes, across four locations, for many Canadians, including individuals at risk of homelessness, Indigenous people, women, and seniors.

With $1 billion allocated through the RHI, our Government will support the construction of up to 3,000 permanent, new affordable housing units across the country to help address urgent housing needs for Canadians, especially our most vulnerable.

Delivered by CMHC, under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), RHI provides the necessary capital contributions to develop new, permanent affordable housing by covering costs associated with modular multi-unit rental construction; conversion of non-residential to affordable multi-residential; and, rehabilitation of buildings in disrepair and/or abandoned to affordable multi-residential.

Quotes:

“Our Government wants to ensure that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. Investments with our municipal partners like the City of Hamilton under the Rapid Housing Initiative’s Major Cities Stream will go a long way to effectively support those who need it most by quickly providing new affordable housing units to vulnerable individuals and families to keep them safe. This is one of the ways our Government’s National Housing Strategy continues to provide housing for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The Rapid Housing Initiative is a crucial step towards reaching our goal of making sure no Canadian experiences chronic homelessness. This funding will provide immediate support in the creation of stable and affordable housing in Hamilton directed towards assisting the most vulnerable. Today’s announcement will help meet the unique housing needs of our city, ensuring Hamiltonians continue to thrive.”

“This funding is further proof of our goverment’s commitment to affordable housing in our city and across the country. Lack of affordable housing is a problem that has plagued Hamilton for better part of the past 50 years, but with investments like this coupled with others found in the National Housing Strategy, we are well on our way to finding a solution!”

“The City of Hamilton welcomes the Government of Canada’s investment towards affordable housing that will help provide vulnerable and low-income residents with good quality and stable housing. Through the ingenuity of staff and local housing providers, we will be creating 45 new units which will thereby secure housing for 53 members of our community. The City will continue to explore and implement strategies to develop safe and affordable housing with the right supports through Hamilton’s 10-year Housing and Homelessness Action Plan.”

Quick facts:

• Today’s announcement was held in Hamilton, on the traditional territory of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas
• 137 George Street will provide permanent housing with supports for 15 women at risk of homelessness in two and 3-bedroom apartments in a low-rise, new modular building.
• 180 Ottawa Street North will convert an existing commercial property into 12 bachelor units for Indigenous women experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
• 195 Ferguson Avenue North will convert office space inside the existing Wesley Community Homes building into one-bedroom apartment units for 11 individuals experiencing homelessness as well as one two-bedroom unit for a superintendent.
• 350 King Street East will convert unused ground-floor commercial space in an existing social housing seniors building to an additional 15 one-bedroom units for seniors.
• These RHI accelerated projects in Hamilton will house 53 tenants from Hamilton’s Access to Housing Waitlist and By-Name Priority List and will be move-in ready in the next 12 months.
• According to CMHC data, 10.4% of households in Hamilton are in core housing need, defined as a home that is below standards for adequacy, suitability or affordability and a household that would have to spend 30% or more of its before-tax household income to access local housing that meets all three standards.
• Under the Major Cities Stream of funding, $500 million is allocated to pre-identified municipalities with the highest levels of renters in severe housing need and people experiencing homelessness. Municipalities can flow funds through a third-party (including a provincial or territorial government).
• Under the Projects Stream of funding, $500 million in application-based projects from provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies and organizations, and non-profit organizations. Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2020.
• RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and others who are among the most vulnerable, including: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2+, racialized groups, Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees.
• The National Housing Strategy is an ambitious 10-year, $55+ billion plan that is giving more Canadians across the country a place to call home, creating 125,000 new housing units and reducing housing need for 530,000 households, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units.
• The 2020 Fall Economic Statement proposes to increase the lending capacity of the existing National Housing Strategy’s Rental Construction Financing Initiative by an additional $12 billion over seven years. This new funding will enable CMHC to support the construction of an additional 28,500 purpose-built rental housing units across Canada.
• The City of Hamilton’s 10-year Housing and Homelessness Action plan is a 10-year, solution-focused, person-centred plan that guides decision making on how the Hamilton community will address affordable housing and homelessness issues. This includes the provision and expansion of emergency shelter accommodations in response to immediate needs in the community and the pandemic; preventing homelessness through the implementation of implementing successful shelter diversion programs; ensuring housing stability supports are there to support successful tenancy and keep people housed; and accelerating the building of new social housing units, and bringing units back online through maintenance.

Associated links:

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
• Rapid Housing Initiative
• National Housing Strategy

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Hamilton is the fifth-largest municipality in Ontario and the tenth-largest municipality in Canada. As a global city, Hamilton boasts a renowned education and health sector as well as a thriving arts scene. Industries in Hamilton include manufacturing, bioscience and medical, and agriculture. The City of Hamilton’s vision is to be the best place to raise a child and age successfully. The City’s mission is to provide high quality cost conscious public services that contribute to a healthy, safe and prosperous community, in a sustainable manner. www.hamilton.ca.

Media contacts:

Jessica Eritou
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
jessica.eritou@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Wilbur McLean
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
416-218-3331
wmclean@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Michelle Shantz
Communications and Media Relations
Office of Mayor Fred Eisenberger
905-546-4225
michelle.shantz@hamilton.ca