Canada announces over $9 million for new affordable homes in Port Colborne

Port Colborne, Ontario, January 16, 2024

Today, the federal government announced over $9 million to help build 41 affordable homes in Port Colborne.

The announcement was made by Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport — on behalf of the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities — alongside Jim Bradley, Regional Chair of Niagara Region, and Bill Steele, Mayor of the City of Port Colborne.

Located at 9 Chestnut Street, this new five-storey apartment building will have 41 affordable homes for low-income seniors and female-led single parent households in South Niagara. The residents will be selected from the Niagara Region's centralized waitlist. The guiding principle for this project is the creation of a safe, welcoming, durable, and energy-efficient apartment building.

The project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2024.

A breakdown of funding for this project includes:

$9.1 million under the Cities Stream of the third round of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) from the federal government,
$1.75 million in contribution and $543,339 in regional development charge exemption from the Regional Municipality of Niagara,
$480,000 in land donation and $87,125 in municipal development charge exemption and planning fee waivers from the City of Port Colborne,
$3.8 million in fundraising and capital contribution from Port Cares.

To support Canada’s most vulnerable, the federal government has invested an additional $1.5 billion in RHI, bringing the program’s total to $4 billion. This investment is expected to create at least 4,500 more affordable homes for Canadians in need across the country, with 25% of investments going towards women-focused projects.

Quotes:

“Safe and affordable housing is foundational, it helps build community and results in improved economic, educational and health outcomes. Today’s announcement of over $9 million investment through the Rapid Housing Initiative in the City of Port Colborne is another step towards creating more equitable and affordable housing for vulnerable people in our community.”
— Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre on behalf of the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Niagara Region's strategic focus bringing more affordable and attainable housing to our communities is evident in today's announcement. Today’s news showcases the power of collaboration between government, Port Cares, and many generous donors. Together, under challenging timelines, we are making progress, addressing the housing crisis directly and producing results for the residents of Niagara.”
— Jim Bradley, Regional Chair of Niagara Region

“Port Colborne City Council is committed to doing our part to increase housing options in the community because we understand the importance of having an affordable and safe place to go home to each day. This investment will not just support the construction of a building, it will also help to build bridges to a better quality of life for our residents. Affordable housing is a cornerstone of a vibrant community and helps promote economic stability and overall well-being. On behalf of City Council, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has helped bring this vision to reality.
— Mayor William Steele, City of Port Colborne

“Since 1986 Port Cares has been improving quality of life for vulnerable people and families through its wrap-around services that include poverty relief food and family supports, child development, employment and training services as well as transitional housing homeless outreach and prevention. Port Cares bold step to develop affordable housing ensures that more families and vulnerable seniors will have safe and reliable housing which is critical to lifting households out of poverty. Our affordable housing project and a better future for residents has been made possible thanks to the investment of The Government of Canada’s investment through the Rapid Housing Initiative, Region of Niagara’s and City of Port Colborne’s contributions along with the charitable donations of our donors and supporters.”
— Christine Clark Lafleur, CEO of Port Cares

Quick facts:

The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is part of the Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS), an $82+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home.
As of September 30, 2023, the federal government has committed over $38.89 billion to help build over 151,803 units and repair over 241,133 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
RHI provides funding to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing units. The additional funding for the third round of RHI will be divided into two streams: $1 billion through the Projects Stream and $500 million towards the Cities Stream.
Launched in 2020, the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
The Government of Canada’s additional investment of $1.5 billion through Rapid Housing Initiative brought the program’s total to $4 billion to help provide homes to those in need.
With its third phase, launched in 2022, the Rapid Housing Initiative once again exceeded targets. It is expected that over 5,200 new homes will be created, of which almost half will be for women and one third will be for Indigenous Peoples.
The total number of units created with the support of the three rounds of the Rapid Housing Initiative is expected to be over 15,500 units.
The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people under the NHS, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized groups, and recent immigrants or refugees.

Additional information:

Visit canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.

To find out more, visit RHI3 and eligibility criteria.

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 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.

Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly at www.placetocallhome.ca. The Housing Funding Initiatives Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.