The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the City of St. Thomas celebrated the official opening of six affordable rental units. The housing project is supported by $420,000 in funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. 

Joe Preston, Member of Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); Steve Peters, Member of Provincial Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London; and Cliff Barwick, Mayor of St. Thomas, attended the event.

"Our Government is dedicated to giving a hand-up to those in need, which is why we are proud to have invested in this project in St.Thomas," said MP Joe Preston. "These units are more than just a safe and affordable place to live,they are the key to a better life for those in the community who will call them home."
"I am very pleased that the federal and provincial governments are supporting families in need in St. Thomas," said MPP Peters. "Building affordable housing creates better communities while generating jobs and economic opportunities."

"Affordable housing is in such great demand in our community. With the co-operation of the federal and provincial governments we have once again been able to see needs being met," said Mayor Barwick. "This building is a splendid asset for our community, and we acknowledge and appreciate the continued commitment of Novi Construction in creating new affordable housing options for individuals and families in St. Thomas."

The six unit project located at 350 Highview Drive received $420,000 through the two-year extension of the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.
The Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement comprises a commitment of $301 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal, provincial and municipal governments will invest at least $734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for up to 20,000 households in Ontario.

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 and up to another $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. Combined for Ontario, this means a further $1.2 billion joint investment under the amended Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. The federal and provincial governments are contributing equally to this overall investment.
In 2009, Ontario allocated a combined federal and provincial investment of $704 million for the renovation of social housing, and $540 million for the creation of new affordable housing. This investment is part of the Open Ontario plan, and is creating an estimated 23,000 jobs, while strengthening local economies across the province. To date, Ontario has approved more than $465 million for construction-ready projects, which will provide affordable housing for low-income families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, and $351.9 million for repairs benefiting some 148,000 social housing units. To find out more about affordable housing in Ontario, visit www.Ontario.ca/housing.

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.