Ottawa Residents Invited To Share Affordable Housing Insights
July 24, 2009 1:00 PM
McGuinty Government Seeks Input on Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy
Ontario is developing a long-term affordable housing strategy and is inviting City of Ottawa residents, community groups and professionals in the local housing sector to participate in consultations.
Participants will be asked to share their ideas on how to improve and streamline housing services and programs to make them work for the people who need access to adequate, suitable and affordable housing.
A public meeting will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Church Hall, 153 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, on Monday, July 27, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
Residents can also share their input by visiting www.Ontario.ca/housingstrategy.
Developing a long-term affordable housing strategy is an important part of Breaking the Cycle: Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy, which will reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over five years -- lifting 90,000 kids out of poverty -- by boosting benefits for low-income families and enhancing publicly-funded education.
QUICK FACTS
- The province, in partnership with the federal government, has committed $1.2 billion in investment to repair and retrofit social housing units, create new housing for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, and to extend the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. Ontario is moving quickly to implement this new funding with a total of 37 "quick start" projects totalling over $70 million.
- On July 3, the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa announced $6.7 million in funding for two new projects that will create 61 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors, families and individuals with disabilities.
- In its 2008 Budget, the Ontario government provided $100 million in grants to Service Managers to help them make urgent repairs to social housing. Of that funding, the City of Ottawa received over $8.2 million.
- Every new unit of affordable housing results in two years of employment for a person working in the housing sector.
LEARN MORE
ontario.ca/municipal
"This is the time to look at the housing systems and programs we have in place and make sure they work for the people in this province, now, and in the future."
– Jim Watson
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean
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