More rental housing in Prince Edward Island

Everyone in Canada 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, including on Prince Edward Island.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, along with Robert Morrissey, the Member of Parliament for Egmont and the Honourable Brad Trivers, Minister of Social Development and Housing, announced details of a federal investment of $4.9 million to support the construction of four projects that will help house 35 vulnerable individuals, including families, seniors and Indigenous people living on reserve, as well as individuals with developmental or physical disabilities. The provincial government will also provide over $1.8 million towards these projects.

The first project is located at 12 McPhee Avenue in Souris and includes 5 units for seniors and 5 units, for families and/or individuals supported through the provincial social housing program. The common areas are barrier-free and three of the units are accessible. Federal funding of $1.9 million, through the NHCF, and a provincial investment of $940,000, were provided for the construction of this project. The project was completed in July of 2020.

The Community Connections Duplex Housing Project, located at 328 and 330 Court Street in Summerside, provides 10 beds for people with developmental or physical disabilities. This project received more than $240,000 in the form of a forgivable loan through the NHCF, an additional $150,000 from the province for construction and $689,000 in operational funding.

The Abegweit – Healthy Rapid Homes 2021 project, located on the “Scotchfort No. 4” reserve, will provide 5 new homes for Indigenous people. The project is receiving $1.3 million through the Projects Stream of the RHI, and an additional $25,000 from the PEI Office of Energy Efficiency.

The Lennox Island 1 Rapid Housing project, located on the “Lennox Island No. 1” reserve, will provide 10 modular units for Indigenous people. The project is receiving close to $1.4 million through the Projects Stream of the RHI, with and additional $100,000 from the province.

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

Quotes:

“Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. With this announcement, our government is creating more affordable homes for those who need it most, including seniors, individuals, families and members of local First Nation communities on Prince Edward Island. These homes will have a positive impact on the lives of the Island’s most vulnerable, and it’s just one way our National Housing Strategy will ensure that no one is left behind.”

“Access to housing is vitally important for our communities in Cardigan and right across the Island. These projects will help ensure that folks have safe and affordable housing that allows them to thrive and I am incredibly pleased that we are supporting these initiatives.”

“This investment from the Government of Canada’s National Housing Co-investment Fund and Rapid Housing Initiative is improving the quality of life for seniors, families and individuals that need it the most, and is making our communities a better place to live.”

“The combined efforts of federal and provincial governments and community organizations have brought these projects to fruition. Creating greater access to affordable and sustainable housing remains a top priority for PEI and we will continue to work with our federal and community counterparts to do so.”

“The lack of affordable and healthy housing is a major issue in Abegweit First Nation. For this reason, I am extremely proud that Abegweit’s own construction team built five new, healthy and energy efficient homes in our community. Now, several young families, who struggled to find and afford shelter off reserve, can move back home. Having these families back in the community will improve the socioeconomic wellbeing of our community and give hope to our young and growing membership that solutions are on the way.”

“We are very pleased with the opportunity to increase our housing availability with this initiative. We continue to work hard to resolve the housing issues in the community. Everyone deserves a place to call home –we continue to find the best solutions in hopes that no one gets left behind.”

“The commitment from our provincial and federal governments for our Court Street duplex has provided a conducive housing option for our clients. The staffed homes have accommodated family requests and alleviated pressures from Community Connections growing Residential waiting list. The duplexes offer our clients a spacious and safe environment to call home and a beneficial and rewarding space for our staff to support.”

Quick facts:

• To date, the federal government has invested $32.3 million to help create 166 affordable homes on Prince Edward Island through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund.
• 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.
• 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 across Canada.
• 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.
• The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is a $2.5 billion program under the NHS aimed at creating over 10,000 new homes to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing.
• The RHI has received significant interest from Indigenous groups, which resulted in over 41% of all units created under the program to be targeted to Indigenous peoples.
• Units are intended to be constructed within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants (with some exceptions), with units in the North and in special access communities intended to be constructed within 18 months.
• Close to 33 per cent of the RHI funding under round two will go towards women-focused housing projects.
• The 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 Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.

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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.

For information on this release:

Daniele Medlej
Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
daniele.medlej@infc.gc.ca

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

Rebecca Gass
Senior Communications Officer
Government of PEI — Social Development and Housing
rjgass@gov.pe.ca