Canada and Ontario open 12 new supportive homes in Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario, July 17 2023

Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West – Ancaster – Dundas, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, alongside Lisa Hepfner, Member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain, Chad Collins, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek, the Honourable Nina Tangri, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Housing, Neil Lumsden, Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek, and Donna Skelly, Member of Provincial Parliament for Flamborough – Glanbrook, opened 12 new supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness in Hamilton through a combined investment of over $3 million.

The conversion of the current Wesley Building, located at 195 Ferguson Avenue North, will provide permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness on Hamilton's By-Name Priority List. These new supportive homes are being delivered through a partnership between Wesley Community Homes and the Good Shepherd. The project includes eleven one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit created through the conversion of office space within the existing Wesley building.

Funding for this project is as follows:

$2.25 million from the federal government through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) Cities Stream under the National Housing Strategy (NHS);
$750,000 from the provincial and the federal governments through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI), an initiative of the Canada – Ontario Bilateral Agreement under the NHS;
$259,121 from the City of Hamilton.

The conversion is complete and The Verrall Place is ready to welcome residents in their new homes.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we’re creating thousands of affordable homes for those most in need in communities across the country, including right here in Hamilton. These new homes, including the dozen opened today for Hamiltonians experiencing homelessness, aren’t just a roof over the heads of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, they’re hope for a brighter future. This is the Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy at work.”
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

“The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy is creating homes and stable environments for vulnerable Canadians. This project is giving people a foundation to build their lives and grow within their communities. This investment helped people overcome barriers and will help them reach their full potential.”
— The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West – Ancaster – Dundas

“Today’s announcement continues the Government of Canada’s record of helping Ontarians find the safe and supportive housing they need. In collaboration with our provincial, municipal partners and local stakeholders, we are working to ensure that all people in Hamilton and in communities across our province and across Canada, have safe and affordable housing.”
— Lisa Hepfner, Member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain

“Across the country, we are working with our partners to build the affordable housing needed to build healthy, sustainable communities. Thanks to this new investment, the most vulnerable people will be able to enjoy a safe and stable environment in Hamilton, resulting in better outcomes, greater community mobilization and cohesion.”
— Chad Collins, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek

“Our government remains committed to ensuring everyone, regardless of income, can find a place to call home. I’m pleased to see this investment through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative being put to work to create safe, affordable housing in the city of Hamilton. This is one of many ways our government is working with our partners to better meet the needs of vulnerable Ontarians.”
— The Honourable Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Housing for Ontario

“This investment will have a tremendous impact on the lives of our community’s most vulnerable by giving them a home. Today’s funding is part of our government’s commitment to work together with our Hamilton partners to bring hope, dignity and security to those in need.”
— Neil Lumsden, Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek

“Every Ontarian deserves a safe and affordable place to live. Our government, in collaboration with our federal partners, continues to work tirelessly to ensure this is a reality. This investment in supportive housing here in Hamilton is an important step toward protecting the most vulnerable and achieving this goal.”
— Donna Skelly, Member of Provincial Parliament for Flamborough – Glanbrook

“The investment of over $3 million from our federal and provincial government partners, along with municipal funding, shows our continued commitment to addressing homelessness and providing much-needed housing in Hamilton. I am grateful to everyone involved and excited to welcome residents to their new homes. This is a significant step forward in our efforts to create a more supportive and inclusive city for all Hamiltonians.”
— Mayor Andrea Horwath, City of Hamilton

“I am proud to be a small part of helping Wesley Community Homes bring a much-needed vision to reality in Hamilton. I wish we could take time to sit back and celebrate this small victory, being able to support some of our cities' most vulnerable with housing, but we cannot. The housing situation in our city and many other cities in North America is dire. We fought hard for the support, approvals, and funding, stayed focused and on track, and succeeded in delivering this project on time and within budget, to ensure the people who needed housing the most got it as promised. We can't thank our Community enough. The WCHI community includes our tenants, WCHI and The Good Shepherd teams, the City of Hamilton, our many valued partners, our board, and our neighbours. Their belief in this project, dedication, perseverance, and support made this a reality.”
— Chad Roglich, Past President of Wesley Community Homes

“Hamilton is currently in the midst of our most critical shortage of safe, affordable housing for our communities. We are very proud and humbled that Wesley Community Homes was able to develop and provide stable, supportive housing through funding received from the Rapid Housing Initiative. We know that these new homes will improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable members of our community. While we recognize that the Federal Government is continuing to invest in affordable housing, there is still a huge need, not only here in Hamilton, but throughout our province. Specifically in Hamilton, at the end of 2022, there were 6,110 households on the centralized waiting list for housing, and 1,536 individuals designated 'homeless'. Let's continue to work together, at all levels of government, and throughout the housing sector, to fix our housing crisis and give Ontarians a safe foundation for a better life.”
— Tracy Geddes, Current President of Wesley Community Homes

Quick facts:

The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) provides capital contributions to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and/or acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable, supportive, or transitional housing. The objective is to quickly create new permanent affordable housing units that support people who are vulnerable and prioritized under the National Housing Strategy.
Through Budget 2022, the Government of Canada is investing an additional $1.5 billion over two years, starting in 2022 – 23 to extend the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) which is expected to create up to 4,500 new affordable housing units, with at least 25 per cent of funding going towards women-focused housing projects. This initiative was originally announced on September 21, 2020, with a budget of $1 billion. Round 2 was announced June 30, 2021, with a budget of $1.5 billion.
Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $82-plus billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
The Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) is a program under the CMHC – Ontario Bilateral Agreement. This 10-year agreement provides more than $5.78 billion to protect, renew and expand community housing; support Ontario’s priorities related to housing repair, construction and affordability; and deliver direct affordability support to Ontarians who need housing. OPHI provides flexible funding to address local housing priorities and improve access to affordable housing options. The initiative helps to increase the affordable housing supply and improve the state of repair of community housing stock.

Additional information:

To find out more, visit RHI and eligibility criteria.

For more information of Government of Canada housing initiatives: Housing Canada.

Previous RHI announcement for the city of Hamilton;

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.

Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada.

Ontario’s most recent housing supply action plan — Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants — is the latest in a series of steps taken by the province to help more people find a home they can afford. For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on Twitter.

For information on this release:

Shiraz Keushgerian
Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
Shiraz.Keushgerian@infc.gc.ca

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

Vonny Sweetland
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Vonny.Sweetland@ontario.ca

MMAH Communications Branch
MMA.Media@ontario.ca