Canada and Manitoba partner with City of Brandon to create affordable housing

The federal and provincial governments are collaborating with the City of Brandon to develop affordable housing for the community with a 48-unit complex at the site of the former Fleming School.

The affordable housing complex will include 42 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units. Eight of the units on the main floor will be accessible for persons with disabilities or mobility issues. Manitoba Families Minister Rochelle Squires noted that rents at the new complex must remain affordable for 20 years.

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $1.56 million over two years for the $11-million project, with a potential for future investments as it progresses.

The $1.56 million investment is made possible through the National Housing Strategy bilateral agreement, which was signed by the governments of Canada and Manitoba in 2019 to ensure families, Indigenous communities and vulnerable Canadians can count on long-term funding for community housing in Manitoba.

The City of Brandon is contributing $1.56 million from provincial grant funding to ensure the rental housing project is 100 per cent affordable. The city will also provide the proponent with a 20-year offsetting grant equal to 50 per cent of the municipal tax payable, and is providing the land valued at more than $1 million.

The project will be led by private developer Kirk Brugger. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2022.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Our investments through the National Housing Strategy will go a long way to effectively support those who need it most, both in Brandon and across the country. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. It is with great pleasure that our government, through the National Housing Strategy, is supporting initiatives like this affordable housing project in Brandon. Our government is working collaboratively with the government of Manitoba to build strong communities where Canadian families can prosper and thrive, now and for the future.”

“Our government will always be there to help those in need, which is why we are investing in this important project. Under our government’s National Housing Strategy, we are working with our partners to build safe and affordable homes here in Brandon, and across the province. I want to thank everyone involved as together we are building a generation of new, permanent housing that we can all be proud of.”

“Our government continues to make important investments in affordable housing, so that all families in Manitoba, including those with lower incomes, can have a safe place to call home. Affordable housing creates benefits that last a lifetime and strengthen our communities and province as a whole. We are pleased to collaborate with our partners on this important project.”

“The City of Brandon has partnered with the Province of Manitoba and other participating partners on a number of recent projects that support affordable housing in our community,” said Mayor Rick Chrest, City of Brandon. “I am pleased to note that today’s announcement brings the total number of provincially partnered new housing units to 129 affordable units and 15 market units.”

“This project is very close to my heart, and we are excited to work with the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Brandon to create affordable housing for families in Brandon. My dad was my hero and he taught me about community and philanthropy. Ten years ago this summer we lost our daughter Kayleigh and her boyfriend Paul in an accident. Kayleigh volunteered to teach English to immigrant children, and Paul came from a hard-working immigrant family that still calls Brandon home. We dedicate this project in their memory.”

Quick facts:

• Since 2016, the Manitoba government has supported the creation of 743 new affordable and social housing rental units. As well, the province has supported home ownership for more than 220 households through partnerships with municipalities, non-profit organizations and other agencies. The province will continue to protect and support vulnerable Manitobans through the development of affordable housing.
• In addition to this investment, the Manitoba government has invested more than $5.2 million to develop 96 new rental, co-operative or single-family homes for low-income to moderate-income families in Brandon since 2018, and provided more than $4.1 million in municipal grant funding to the City of Brandon in March 2021.
• The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is the Government of Canada’s 10-year, $70+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home — this includes more than $13 billion committed through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement.
• The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians. The province will continue to protect and support vulnerable Manitobans through the development of affordable housing.

Associated links:

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.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Information on this news release:

Mikaela Harrison
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
mikaela.harrison@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Leonard Catling
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
604-737-4029
lcatling@cmhc-schl.gc.ca