A federal announcement this morning revealed that Niagara will be receiving 10.5 million dollars to rapidly build 41 new affordable housing units, set to be move-in ready within 12 months.
Stakeholders from the region, MP’s Vance Badawey and Chris Bittle, and St Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik were joined by federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Ahmed Hussein for the announcement.
The funding comes from the federal governments rapid housing initiative, that stipulates that the units must be built within a year.
“These targeted investments will not only support individuals in precarious housing situations, but will also stimulate the local economy. Simply put, this is great news for everyone,” stated Minister Hussein.
The investment comes as Niagara’s affordable housing agency grapples with a wait list over 7,000 names long, and the latest regional analysis of the issue with homelessness showed over 600 individuals are currently without a stable living situation, exceeding the last time a similar point-in-time analysis was made.
All the attendees at the Friday media conference agreed that the investment can make a meaningful impact on that list, however there was no word on where these units will be built.
"We have developments taking place in Niagara Falls, Welland, and proposals in front of us that can acccelerate housing. But it must come with partnership, and that is what we are seeing from the federal government," said St Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik, who praised the initiative.
Despite the glum prognosis in the region's latest homelessness survery, showing more people are lacking access to housing now than at the same point last year, Sendzik said the data reflects a more in-depth look at the actual problem, and that Niagara has never had a clearer picture of what the issue with access to housing and homelessness really looks like.
More details about where the units will be built, and how to access them will come later this summer.