More affordable housing options in Edmonton

January 15, 2010
Edmonton, Alberta – Construction begins today on a building expansion that will provide housing for low-income seniors in Edmonton. Representatives of the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, the City of Edmonton and the Christian Senior Citizens Homes Society of Northern Alberta, took part in a sod-turning event at Emmanuel Home. The project is supported by $2,000,000 in funding under the Canada-Alberta Affordable Housing Program.

Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament for Edmonton East, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Jonathan Denis, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, were present at the sod-turning ceremony today.

“The Government of Canada is helping to make safe and affordable housing available to those who need it most here in Edmonton and across the country,” said MP Goldring. “This project provides more housing options for seniors, allowing them to continue living independently in their community.”
“The Alberta government is pleased to join with the federal government and community organizations to ensure safe and affordable housing is available to more Albertans,” said Jonathan Denis, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs. “These types of partnerships help us leverage taxpayer dollars and bring us another step closer to our goal of supporting the development of 11,000 affordable housing units by 2012.”
Emmanuel Home is an independent and assisted living centre for seniors in northeast Edmonton. It is currently home to 106 residents in 93 suites and studios. The expansion will build an additional 56 one- and two-bedroom suites, 22 of which will be affordable. The expanded facility will contain 149 units in total, and is expected to be complete by December 2011.

“We have a lengthy list of seniors awaiting accommodations, including those who would benefit from affordable housing,” said Ron Bos, Executive Director of Emmanuel Home. “We are grateful for the generous support of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs, as well as the tireless efforts and ongoing support of our community.”

The Canada-Alberta Affordable Housing Agreement is comprised of a commitment of $98.62 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal and provincial governments have invested some $197.24 million in the program, which provided over 3600 affordable housing units in Alberta.
In 2008, the Government of Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over five years to improve and build new affordable housing and to help the homeless. Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on this with an additional one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. Most of this funding is being implemented through amendments to the agreements for the Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI). In Alberta, this brings a further $119 million in federal funding to the province.
The Government of Alberta has a clear plan for a strong economic recovery. The Way Forward will bring Alberta back into a surplus position in three years by trimming government spending; using cash reserves to protect key programs; continuing to invest in public infrastructure; and ensuring that our province's industries are competitive and continue to attract investment to provide jobs and prosperity.

The Alberta government is on track to reach its goal to create 11,000 affordable housing units by 2012 with 8,700 units being supported during the first three years of the provincial affordable housing initiative. For more information on affordable housing support, visit www.housing.alberta.ca.
To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan. For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, call
1-800-O Canada or visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.