New affordable homes for women and families in Vancouver

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery, as people in Canadian communities — including Vancouver are still having trouble finding safe and affordable housing.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion announced an $11.37 million investment from the federal government to build the Women & Families Centre run by Union Gospel Mission. The project includes 63 housing units primarily intended for low-income women, including women with children and women dealing with mental health or addiction issues.

This investment by the Government of Canada was made possible by the National Housing Strategy’s (NHS) National Housing Co-investment Fund (NHCF).

Union Gospel Mission will provide tenants with 24/7 on-site support for women in drug and alcohol recovery, support for the children of women in recovery (trauma counselling, licensed childcare services, after school programming), family building activities, job readiness programming and many other resources.

The new Women & Families Centre is a 77,000 square foot, seven-storey building designed to achieve a minimum of 32.60% decrease in energy intensity and 29.30% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions relative to the requirements of the 2015 National Energy Code for Buildings or the 2015 National Building Code.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, our government is investing in affordable housing here in Vancouver and across Canada to help create jobs and improve quality of life for those who need it most. Thanks to today’s announcement, low-income women, including women with children and women who are struggling with mental health or addiction issues in Vancouver now have access to affordable homes. This is the National Housing Strategy in action.”

“I’m most excited about being able to provide a culturally aware and trauma informed environment for women and children for up to a 5 year continuum of care, where they can feel accepted, seen, known and enjoy relationships and support as they walk on this journey of becoming.”

Quick facts:

• The project will be required to maintain affordable rents for all 63 units for at least 60 years.
• The building’s common areas will be barrier free and 13 units are accessible.
• Full and part-time integrated support and services for the tenants is offered on-site by Union Gospel Mission.
• With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans and young adults.
• Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes.
• Under the NHCF, investments are also planned to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence, as well as create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
• To help Canadians find affordable housing, Budget 2021 provides an additional $2.5 billion over seven years in new funding and to reallocate $1.3 billion in previously announced funding to speed up the construction, repair, and support over 35,000 additional housing units.
• In Budget 2021, $750 million in existing funding under NHCF has been advanced to 2021 – 22 and 2022 – 23. This will accelerate the creation of 3,400 new units and the repair of 13,700 units. $250 million in existing funding will also be allocated to support the construction, repair, and operating costs of an estimated 560 units of transitional housing and shelter spaces for women and children fleeing violence. This funding will help the Government address gender-based violence.
• Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $72+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.

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, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Additional information about Women & Families Centre is available at the following link: https://www.ugm.ca/services/

Information on this news release:

Mikaela Harrison
Office of the Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion
mikaela.harrison@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca